


Iris Remembers

by xswestallen



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: AU, Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Drama & Romance, Episode: s01e16 Rogue Time, Iris Finds Out, Metahuman Iris West, POV Iris West, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2018-02-17
Packaged: 2019-01-08 10:27:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 34,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12252504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xswestallen/pseuds/xswestallen
Summary: AU: Iris is the one who can "vibe" other timelines. When she “vibes” the erased timeline from 1x15 where she kissed Barry and he revealed he’s The Flash, she doesn't know how to handle it.





	1. Waterfront

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know if you like this. I think it's a great idea, but I've never written an AU or a multichapter fic before so I'm sure if I'm doing the idea justice. There will be four more chapters if I decide to continue with the rest of my idea.

Iris was sitting at her desk listening to Mason Bridge’s conspiracy theory that Dr. Wells may have had something to do with the disappearance of Simon Stagg. She was feeling uneasy. Seeing Linda kiss Barry, hearing Mason Bridge’s distrust of the man who saved her best friend’s life. Iris was overwhelmed with information she desperately wanted to be untrue. She wanted to go for a walk and clear her head.

But, the uneasy feeling only increased as Barry approched and interrupted Bridge. 

“Hey Iris.” Barry said. Iris noticed he looked almost as uneasy as she felt. “Mr. Bridge, hi.”

Iris blinked and was suddenly standing at the waterfront looking at Barry. It was the strangest experience of her life. The place looked like Central City, the park, the water. Barry looked like Barry But it felt wrong. How could it be happening? How did she get here? The only other time she experience an impossibly fast change of locations was when The Flash brought her up to the Jitter rooftop. 

Time was frozen. Everything but Iris was still. She spun in a circle and took in her surroundings. It was the waterfront, but Iris knew it was artificial somehow. She wasn’t really here. It was as if she was lucid dreaming. 

Barry was staring off into the distance, concerned. Iris followed his gaze and saw a violent thunderstorm over the water. An enormous wave was building underneath it’s clouds. Iris turned back to Barry and everything around them jolted back to life. Barry was talking, people were running, and Iris felt her heart racing.

“Iris, you need to get out of here, ok? You need to get as far away from here as possible.” 

He was panicked. Iris didn’t know what was happening, all she knew was that she couldn’t leave Barry. Looking into Barry’s fearful eyes, the situation felt real for the first time and Iris was afraid. Emotion overwhelmed her and she started speaking before she even realized what she was saying.

“I am not leaving you.” 

“IRIS, PLE-”

“Listen to me. Ever since the night when you told me how you felt, I have NOT been able to stop thinking about you.” she spoke quickly, scared she’d lose her nerve if she paused. “At first I was really mad, and then I realized the reason that I couldn’t stop thinking about is because I didn’t want to.”

Those last few words came out more emotional than hoped but it was impossible to hold those thoughts in anymore. Iris searched Barry’s face as he took a moment to absorb what she just told him. He was no longer panicked. Then, he smiled the purest smiles Iris had ever seen. 

“I’ve never stopped thinking about you.”

Before relief could set in for Iris, Barry kissed her. It felt like time was frozen again. Everything else was fake but this must be real. Barry’s hands were cupping her face and the feeling of him kept her sane. She put her hands on his sides. The kiss felt like an infinite amount of time had passed and simultaneously like only a second.

Barry ended the kiss and she instantly missed the feeling of his lips. But then she how much larger the wave had gotten. It was easily as tall as some of the skyscrapers and it was headed right for them. Barry called Caitlin and Iris stood looking at the tidal wave. She hoped it was a dream because she didn’t want to die. 

“I am so sorry.” Barry was off the phone and talking to Iris. “I didn’t want you to find out this way.” 

Iris felt several gusts of wind and before she could blink, saw The Flash standing before her. 

“Go.” he commanded.

Iris watched the red blur makes it’s way towards the tsunami. This was definitely a dream. Barry can’t be The Flash……… But what if he is? That could explain the somehow familiar chemistry she felt when with The Flash.  
Iris turned around and started running as she was told. She tried to get away but she knew deep down that she wouldn’t be able. So she turned again to see the The Flash running back and forth in front of the wave. She was hyperventilating. She closed her eyes to try and calm herself. But, then she realized her eyes were open and everything was dark. Filled with more fear than ever before, Iris tried to scream.

Iris was sitting in her chair at her desk. Barry and Mason Bridge were in front of her. It was a dream afterall. Iris looked around and noted how this felt real. She remembered that Bridge was talking about Simon Stagg’s disapearance and that Barry had just walked over to talk about something. 

“Iris, can I talk to you for a second.” Barry asked. 

Iris looked at him and remembered how the dream him looked into her eyes the same way. Her eyes were drawn to his lips. It was just her imagination that they felt so good, right? Iris didn’t know if she wanted to talk to him while she was still trying to process that bizarre daydream, but agreed anyway.

“Yeah, sure.” She stood up.

“Nice meeting you, strange young man.” Bridge said to Barry.

As Iris and Barry walked down the aisle of CCPN saw how happy he looked. It was strikingly similar to the look dream Barry had after Iris confessed her feelings. A thought crossed Iris’s mind and it felt like a punch in the gut: what if he was this happy because Linda told him that she was in love with him. 

“Everything ok with you and Linda?” she asked him.

“Uh.. no. That’s done.” He told her. It took a great deal of effort for Iris not to smile. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Iris hoped it sounded more convincing out loud than it did in her head. 

Barry started rambling and Iris was only partially listening. She was trying to think of what could make so happy after a breakup. She noticed when he stopped talking and realized she needed to respond.

“Uh, ok. Yeah. Sure. Sounds great.” she said.

“Ok great! Great. I’ll see you.”

As Barry left, Iris tried to comprehend what happened to her in the last few minutes. She daydreamed before, but it was never like this. She was interested in what Bridge was saying to her and why Barry came over, so she wouldn’t have zoned out. And that felt drastically different from every other daydream. She was there. It was impossible, but Iris knew that somehow she was at the waterfront with Barry.

Iris went back to her desk, hastily threw her things in her bag, and went home. She would send her boss an email saying wasn’t feeling well. It wasn’t a lie, Iris felt really sick. Sick, confused, and scared.


	2. Jitters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris meets Barry at Jitters and realizes she isn't the only one who may have experienced something at the waterfront yesterday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is when major canon divergence starts.

Iris couldn’t fall asleep. She laid awake looking up at the ceiling and trying to block her vivid memory of being with Barry at the waterfront from her mind. Eddie was snoring by her side. She turned and look at his sleeping face. Eddie was a great man and she was happy in her relationship. Her first impression of him as an arrogant, pretty boy was dead wrong. Eddie is kind, smart, and compassionate. He didn’t become a cop to brag about arrests, he truly wanted to help people. 

Iris would never want hurt Eddie. She loved him. Of course she loved Barry too, but not in a romantic way. Right? Barry was just her best friend. And her favorite person to talk to, and the person she’s shared most of her best memories with, and the person who could constantly impressed her with the depth of his mind and heart, and the person who could make her feel ok when it she thought that was impossible. That’s just platonic, best friend stuff……. Right? 

Iris didn’t want to admit this, not even to herself, that if Barry hadn’t been in a coma when Eddie asked her out, she probably would’ve said no. She even went to visit a comatose Barry in S.T.A.R. labs to tell him about how stupid accepting the date was and begged Barry to wake up. Iris rationalized those words as an emotional friend, terrified that she would never get to speak to her best friend again. And Eddie is the best boyfriend Iris has ever had. That’s why she can’t understand why a part of her was desperately hoping her impossible ‘dream’ was real. 

Iris did her best to conceal the bag under her eyes. She already downed five cups of coffee this morning but was still planning on ordering the double shot of expresso at Jitters. As she approached the building her stomach turned nervously. Hanging out with Barry never her nervous before. He was usually a calming presence. That stupid ‘dream’ is ruining her life by making her overthink her relationships with Eddie and Barry. She decided it would be best to just pretend it never happened. It wasn’t real after all. It couldn’t be real.

Through the glass door, Iris saw Barry eagerly waiting for her with a cronut and coffee already on the table. He looked happier than Iris had seen him in a long time, maybe since he greeted her after waking up from the coma, or maybe this was the happiest Iris has ever seen him. 

“Hey!” he practically gasped as she walked up and took off her coat.

“Hi.” she told him trying not to look at his lips as they’d remind of her things a girl in a happy, long term relationship shouldn’t be thinking about. 

“One incredibly heavy cronut and one americano with an extra shot. Just the way you like.” 

“Just the way I like it.” she said at the exact same time. 

“Yeah, I know. I know you, Iris.” Barry looked proud of himself.  
The smile on his face was so pure. It was almost identical to the one he had in her ‘dream’. Iris picked up her coffee and was careful to not make eye contact and get sucked into the emerald abyss she remembered in her ‘dream’.

“So, what is going on with you? You’re acting like Christmas came early.” she assumed he’d nerd out and tell her all about this subatomic particle trait that was just discovered or something like that. 

“Aha, ahh, yeah, I guess it did….kinda.” he said.

Iris was curious what he was going to say. Until, he reached his hands across the table to hold her. He looked into her eyes and she couldn’t force herself to not look into his. 

“Iris,” and the moment she hear him say that was the moment she knew what he was going to say.

“I still think about you all the time. And I know you’ve been thinking me to. So, let’s just stop thinking and start doing!”

‘No. No no no no no no no no no no.’ was all Iris could think. He knew about the ‘dream’. Why else would he bring this up again? They had silently agreed to never acknowledge his Christmas confession of love to her again. How did he know that she’d been thinking about him? He said that he still thinks about her, just like on the waterfront when he said “I’ve never stopped thinking about you.” What if he had the same ‘dream’ she did? That was even more absurd. But it felt like the only explanation to what Barry said. 

“Barry,” Iris began but he cut her off.

“I know, I know that we both have awful timing. But we were meant to be to-”

“Barry, what are you talking about?” Iris was determinedly looking at his eyebrow and not into his eyes.

Barry looked shocked at her reaction. “You and me. We like each other.” 

His face dipped from overjoyed kid on Christmas to confused puppy. The only reason he would be caught off guard by her reaction was if he thought something had changed for her. Was that why he was so giddy about his breakup with Linda? Did Iris and Barry have some kind of shared hallucination yesterday? Iris closed her eyes and shook her head in disbelief.

“Barry, we’ve been over this. Ok? Nothing has changed for me.”

“No, but it has.” he said with certainty. 

How could he possibly know that? Iris hadn’t told anyone about the newfound doubt she had in her relationship with Eddie. Ever since Christmas, Iris considered what it would be like to be in a relationship with Barry. How nice it would be to already know all the good stuff and all the bad stuff about each other, how his thoughtfulness as a friend would translate romantically. She found herself eyeing his hands and lips whenever they were together. She had a few secret dream she kept to herself. But nothing like what she experienced yesterday. 

How could he look so confident? The last time Barry told her how he felt he did not look confident at all. He looked vulnerable. Iris was privately considering his confession for months, why did he chose today to tell her again? It had to be that he knew about what happened what happened yesterday. Iris was starting to panic.

“How do you know that?” she asked him, hoping this question wouldn’t be taken as an admission that he was right. 

“I just..” Barry looked around as if he was searching for this answer too. “I just know some stuff… somehow. I don’t know maybe it’s like, ESP or something but-”

“Barry,” Iris was about to cry. He noticed and confidence faded to concern. “Were you at the waterfront yesterday?”

Barry blinked a few times. He scratched the back of his neck and once again peered around for an answer to her question.

“The waterfront? I…. I wasn’t there yesterday.”

Iris could tell he was lying. Now tears were streaming down her face.

“Barry, what happened yesterday?” 

Barry bit his lip. He was keeping something from her, and she was afraid she knew what it was. When his internal battle was won, he looked her in the eye and they were gone. Iris felt a strong gust of wind and was suddenly on the waterfront with Barry. 

She looked around. It was exactly the same as it had been in her ‘dream’, yet somehow different. How did they get here? Was this another ‘dream’ or was this conformation that Barry is The Flash. 

Barry looked like he was going to cry too. “You know I’ve always believed in the impossible. And recently, you’ve been trying to convince people to believe in the impossible too. But even for people who believe in the impossible, what I’m going to tell you is still hard to believe.”

“Barry………”

“Yesterday afternoon, I went back in time and lived the day over again.”


	3. Technically Never Happened

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry tells Iris the truth, about everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter gets a little angsty, I promise the story will have a happy ending though.

Iris laughed. She couldn’t help it, this was ridiculous. Barry can run hundreds of miles an hour and travel through time? What was this, a cheesy comic book? Barry looked hurt and Iris tried to stop laughing, but to no avail.

“I’m sorry, but this can’t be happening.” she said flatly.

“Iris, yesterday something really bad happened. Mark Mardon murdered the coroner and found out that Joe was the cop who killed Clyde Mardon. He showed up at CCPD and almost killed Captain Sing. Then he kidnapped Joe.”

Iris instantly stooped laughing when she heard that. There was nothing funny about the situation anymore. 

“How did we end up here?” she asked.

“We were at CCPD and Eddie was leading a task force to find Joe. Mardon called you and told you to come here, alone. He said if you told anyone he’d kill Joe.” Iris shook her head as Barry spoke. “You told me and we came here together.”

“Was my dad ok?” she asked, uneasy.

“We didn’t get that far. Mardon has powers. Powers he was using to create a tsunami headed straight for the city.” 

Iris covered her mouth. It wasn’t a dream, it was a memory. And Barry remembered it too. 

“I told you to get as far away as you could but you said-”

“I’m not leaving you.” she finished his sentence. Barry nodded. 

“Then, you told me that you’d been thinking about me.” Barry left out the part where they kissed. “I saw the tidal wave coming closer and I had to try and stop it before it killed everyone in Central City. I started running and my adrenaline must’ve been so high because of Joe, and what you said, and everyone in danger……” Barry trailed off. It was like he didn’t fully understand what happened either. “The next thing I know, I’m standing in the middle of a street downtown and it’s the night before. I wasn’t trying to time travel, I didn’t even know that I could. It just happened.”

“You’re The Flash.” Iris said. Barry looked at her not knowing what to say. 

“I didn’t want you to find out like that.” he finally said in a low voice.

Iris swallowed. “So was it real or not?”

“It was.” Barry said. “But, it technically didn’t happen.”

Iris was so disoriented.

Barry saw how confused she was and tried to explain further. “I’m the only one who knew that things were different. I told Dr. Wells that I went back in time and he said that I had to let everything happen exactly as it had, but I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t let Mardon hurt everyone. I found Mardon and I locked him up before he got the chance. Dr. Wells told me that I could be causing a greater disaster by messing with time, but I don’t see how anything could be worse than what originally happened.” 

“But if it didn’t happen, how do I remember it?”

“I’m not sure.” Barry admitted. “I know this is really weird and I’m still trying to figure it out too.”

Iris needed to sit down. She dropped to the ground and tried to process all this. Barry knelt down beside her and put his arm on her shoulder. Iris didn’t know if she wanted to hug him or yell at him. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you’re The Flash?” she asked.

Barry put his face in his hands and shook his head. He was clearly feelings guilty about keeping such a huge secret from her. 

“I should’ve. I’m sorry. Joe told me not to tell you, to keep you safe. But, I didn’t have to listen. I could’ve told you and maybe looping you in would’ve kept you safer. Maybe you could’ve helped us.” 

“My dad knows?” Iris was unnerved. “You kept this secret. No, this world of secrets from me?”

“I’m so sorry, I should’ve told you.” Barry said. 

“Why did you talk to me as The Flash?” Those secret rooftop rendezvous with ‘The Streak’ where she could swear he was flirting with her, seemed like a great time for him to reveal his identity. Iris was angry about the deception, but she also felt a pang of pride knowing that her best friend was Central City’s superhero. 

“You wouldn’t listen to me when I told you it was dangerous to write about this stuff. So, I thought maybe The Flash could convince you.”

“Why did you attack Eddie?” Iris was still confused and hurt by his actions that night.

“There was this guy, Roy Bivilo, he did something to me that made me uncontrollably angry. I screamed at Joe and I had this huge fight with…..” he stooped, deciding not to say whatever he was about to. “With one of my friends. I wasn’t myself. I’m sorry.”

Now it was Iris’s turn to feel guilty. If everything Barry said was true, and it probably was, it meant she cheated on Eddie. She looked at the water and remember the feeling of terror she had as she watched the wave build. In that moment, she wasn’t even thinking of Eddie. He was far from her mind, all she could think about was if Barry would be ok when he tried stop it. Eddie had been right when he said something changed between her and Barry.

They sat in silence for a while. Iris could tell Barry was dying to say something as he kept shooting her nervous glances. 

“I’m not mad.” she hoped it would calm him down. “I don’t know what I feel right now, except confused.” 

This was not what Barry was hoping for, but he nodded. He understood that this was a lot to take in and appreciated that Iris wasn’t mad. She sighed and stood up. Barry hastily got up too.

“So, what now?” he asked.

“It’s like you said, it technically didn’t happen. So we just forget about it like everyone else.”

Barry looked like he’d been punched in the gut. “Iris,”

“No, Barry.” the words came out harsher than she intended. “The truth is, I have been thinking about you since you told me how you felt. I discovered that I do like you as more than just a friend.” Barry looked hopeful. “But, I’m with Eddie. He’s a good person and he doesn’t deserve to be hurt.” The hope was shattered again. “I’m sorry.” she turned and walked back towards the city, leaving a crushed Barry behind her.


	4. S.T.A.R. Labs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris tries to work on her relationship with Eddie, but realizes she can't do that until she fixes things between her and Barry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I thought this work would be 5 chapters, but while writing this one I realized that I'm going to need to break it up some more. This chapter and the next one would be WAYYYY too long otherwise. Plus, you guys seem to like this, so I don't want to rush it. It's 6 chapters now.

Things were uncomfortable between Barry and Iris again. It was hard for both of them to deal with the reality of Barry’s time travel and their feelings. It was a lot like those awkward days after Barry confessed his love for Iris. Pretending that this never happened was more difficult than Iris planned. Most of her nights were sleepless as she envisioned what might’ve happened if Barry hadn’t changed the timeline. Would he be able to save the city? Was her dad still alive? Would she and Barry be together? What about Eddie?

Eddie knew something was wrong and he was getting frustrated with Iris for not telling him about it. Iris had no idea how she could explain that Barry is The Flash and he traveled through time after she kissed him and now she felt guilty and was trying to move on from that day that never happened. Iris didn’t want to lie to Eddie, but there was no way she could reveal Barry’s secret without his permission. 

Iris was awake before Eddie this morning, having given up on trying to sleep. She was getting dressed when he stirred.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up.” she said.

“Mmmm, what time is it?” Eddie said as he stretched.

“5:30.” 

“When did you become such an early bird?”

Iris smiled but a look at Eddie told her he wasn’t joking. She had nothing to say so she just put her boots on. She went to give him a kiss on the cheek, but he moved away from her.

“Eddie,”

“You need to talk about what’s bothering you. If you can’t tell me for whatever reason, tell somebody. Talk to your dad, talk to Barry, see a therapist. Something! This isn’t healthy, Iris.” Eddie held her hand.

“I know.” she confessed. “Thank you for being here for me. I know I’ve been making it hard for us the past few days. I just feel like, I don’t know. Like, I’m in a daze. As if the life I’m living isn’t real.”

“Like some kind of existential crisis?” Eddie seemed surprised that this is what was bothering her.

“Yeah, like that.” This time Eddie let Iris kiss him and she smiled. “I’ll see you after work. I love you.”

“Love you too.”

For the fifth day in a row, Iris arrived at CCPN before anyone else. The usually crowded and busy room felt so big when she there alone. The only good thing about recent events was that Iris was getting a lot of work done. Writing was the only thing that made her feel sane these days. Today, she was working on a piece about the notorious Electric Gang. Once that was finished, she felt restless. Iris grabbed the remote and turned on the TV to take her distracted from her thoughts. 

The news was on and the anchors were talking about how The Flash stooped a robbery last night. It cut to an interview with the victim who described how The Flash saved her from a masked gunman, demanding money.

“I only had a few dollars on me. He was upset about that. I thought he was going to shoot me. That’s when The Flash showed up and saved me. In the blink of an eye the robber was gone. The Flash told me the police had him now and that I was safe. I barely got out a thank you before he ran off.” 

“That’s quite the story.” the reporter interviewing the victim said.

“I don’t want to think about what would’ve happened if The Flash didn’t come. Thank you Flash!” the victim said, on the verge of tears.

Iris groaned. It was impossible to escape proof of Barry’s heroism no matter how hard she tried.

Later that day, Iris went to CCPD on her lunch break to surprise Eddie with some pastries she picked up from Jitters. She thought it would be a nice way of showing him that she didn’t want to push him away. But, when she got there one of the detectives told her that Eddie and her dad were in the field. 

Disappointed, Iris sat in her car and ate some of the pastries. Normally, she would’ve waited by Eddie’s desk for him to get back, but she didn’t want to risk running into Barry. It sucked that things were like this between them now. She would love to go back to the way things were before. As Iris felt the first, of what would surely be many tears, forming in her eyes, she quickly wiped them away and said out loud to herself, “No! No more crying over this.”

Iris decided that the only way she could get over with was to patch things up with Barry. Her life couldn’t be normal until they were back on good terms. She picked up her phone and sent Barry a text.

"Hey. I’m on my lunch break. Can I come see you at CCPD?" she sent.

"I’m not there" was his reply.

"Where are you?" she asked.

"STAR labs"

"Oh ok"

Iris sighed. She didn’t know if Barry really was at S.T.A.R Labs or if he was just trying to avoid her. She hoped things weren’t so bad that he would lie to get out of seeing her. Then again, she knew she’d hurt his feelings. Iris felt bad about it, she never wanted to lead Barry on or make him feel ashamed of what happened. It wasn’t his fault, it was all hers. As the tears crept back into Iris’s eyes, she received a new text from Barry.

"You could come here if you want" was what it said. 

Iris almost squealed. Barry wasn’t avoiding her!

"Yes I’ll be there in 10 minutes"

Iris buckled her safety belt and left for S.T.A.R. Labs. She was able to keep her nerves at bay on the ride over, but as soon as she walked into the large building, she feared she would be sick. Barry was waiting for her in the hallway outside the cortex. She suspected it was so they could have a private conversation. 

“Hey.” she said as she approached. She wanted to open her arms for a hug, but thought twice about it.

Barry’s hands were nervously in his pockets and he was shifting his weight from foot to foot.

“Hi.” he said.

After what felt like an eternity but was realistically only a matter of seconds, they both broke the uncomfortable silence.

“I’m sorry.” They apologized simultaneously.

It made them both chuckle. Iris was relieved to see a smile on Barry’s face, feeble as it was.

“So….” Iris wasn’t sure if she should try to talk about Barry’s revelation or if she should keep things casual. “Do Dr. Wells, Caitlin, and Cisco know that you’re The Flash?”

“Yeah. Yeah, actually, they kind of were the ones who told me that there many be some other people effected by the particle accelerator explosion and asked if I would be interested in helping find them. Cisco made me my suit and everything.” 

Barry didn’t seem upset by the question. In fact, he seemed happy to finally be telling Iris about his adventures as The Flash. Iris was excited to learn more about it too.

“So you mean the other weird phenomenons I was writing about, like the burning man, they got like that because of the particle accelerator?” Iris asked. The awkwardness was starting to dissolve.

“Yeah. The dark matter from the explosion effected people differently. I got my speed from the lightning bolt that hit me.” Barry said. 

“And here I was thinking that lightning was the worst thing that could’ve happened.” Iris said. “Barry, when you were in that coma, I was beside myself. I don’t think I could be happy without my best friend.”

“I don’t know what I’d do if something bad happened to you.”

“Yes you do.” Iris said, remembering how Tony had kidnapped her and The Flash came to her rescue. 

Barry looked thrown by her words.

“You’d rescue me.” Iris clarified. 

Barry blushed. “You knew how to be your own hero though.” 

This brought back the memory of Tockman holding her hostage at the police station. Iris had been so scared. Eddie was on the brink of death, her father was also a hostage, and she was being taken away with Tockman. She was grateful for her own quick thinking and the firearm skills Joe taught her. Then, Iris thought about her meeting with The Flash in the hospital. She’d mentioned Barry to him again. 

“Was it weird, pretending to not be you when you were talking to me as The Flash?” she asked. “You seemed different than your usual self.”

Barry seemed embarrassed by the question and was spared from answering it when Dr. Wells wheeled into the hallway behind him. 

“Nice to see you again, Miss. West.” Dr. Wells said. Iris didn’t know why, but somehow he made even the most mundane sentences sound creepy to her.

“You too, Dr. Wells.” she replied.

Iris looked at Barry and tried to silently ask him ‘does he know that I know?’

Barry must’ve gotten the message, because he said “I told Dr. Wells that your the only one who can remember the previous timeline. He thought it was interesting and asked me if I’d bring you here.”

“Not even you can remember it?” Iris was a little shocked that she could do something the great Dr. Wells couldn’t. Barry talked about him like he was some sort of oracle with all the knowlege possible. 

Dr. Wells took off his glasses and rubbed the lenses with his shirt. He didn’t look at Iris or Barry as he spoke. “Barry is able to remember because he was the one travel through time. How it is that you can remember well, that, Miss. West, is the mystery.”

Again, this was oddly creepy to Iris. She didn’t want to be so judgmental of the man who saved Barry’s life, but he gave off a bad vibe. Maybe Dr. Wells was just an acquired taste and that’s how Barry could be relaxed around him, Iris thought. Dr. Wells turned his wheelchair and gestured for them to follow him into the cortex. Iris wished that she could be alone with Barry to finish their conversation, but went anyway.

Inside the cortex, Caitlin was observing some liquid in a test tube and Cisco was tinkering with some kind of sci-fi looking gun. Iris didn’t notice either of them. All of her attention was on The Flash suit. It was just a few feet in front of her, stored on a mannequin in a little closet-like nook of the cortex. Even though she knew Barry was The Flash, seeing the suit and his nonchalance around it made it all feel more real. 

“Iris?” Caitlin abandoned whatever she was doing and made her way towards them. She looked troubled by their entrance. 

“Calm down, Caitlin.” Barry said. “Iris knows.”

“Oh, good.” Caitlin took a breath.

“That’s the suit?” Iris asked shakily, feelings like she’d stumbled out of reality and into some kind of parallel universe.

“Yeah.” Barry said.

Iris walked up to it for a closer look.

“Pretty sick, huh?” Cisco came up beside Iris and admired his own creation. “I made it out of a reinforced tri-polymer. It’s heat and abrasive resistant, so Barry can run as fast as he can without catching on fire.”

Iris was freaked out by Cisco’s last words. 

“Don’t worry though, that only happen like 3 times. He’s fine.” Cisco tried (and failed) to reassure her. “Anyway," he said clapping his hands together, clearly eager to change the subject. "It’s also got built-in sensor so we can monitor Barry’s speed, vitals, and location. With the com we can talk to him and help him take down metas.”

“So you help Barry fight crime?” Iris asked.

“I couldn’t do it without them.” Barry said appreciatively. 

"He's not lying." Cisco said. "Without us, he would've been dead on like, week three."

Barry punched Cisco's arm playfully. Caitlin, Cisco, and Dr. Wells all smiled. Iris could tell they had a great deal of trust in each other. She imagined them sitting at the desk talking Barry through his epic battles with the city’s worst criminals.

“So that’s the real reason you spend so much time here.” Iris understood now. 

“To be fair, we did do a lot of testing when Barry first woke up. So it wasn't technically a lie when he told you that.” Caitlin said. 

"How many of these, metahumans?" she looked to Cisco and he nodded to tell her she was pronouncing it right. "How many of these metahumans have you fought?"

"I've lost count." Barry laughed.

"Well there's Weather Wizard, Multiplex, The Mist," Cisco counted on his fingers as he named them. "We never came up with a name for Woodward but I'm thinking Girder, Blackout, Rainbow Raider, I still hate that name, Caitlin, but it caught on, super jerk Hartley Rathaway who named himself The Pied Piper because of course he had to pick something that sounds douchey, Peek-a-boo, and while they aren't metahumans, Captain Cold and Heatwave were a pain in the ass too."

"Wow." Iris was shocked. She expected to they'd say three or four. "I didn't know so many people were effected by the particle accelerator."

Dr. Wells, Caitlin, and Cisco looked a bit embarrassed. 

"We caused all these problems, the least we can do is help Barry fix them." Caitlin said. 

"I didn't mean to imply-" Iris stuttered out an apology but was interrupted by Dr. Wells.

"It's alright, Miss. West. Now if you'll excuse us, Cisco, Caitlin, and I have work we must get back to."

Caitlin and Cisco smiled at Iris as they returned to their work. Iris smiled at Barry.

"I'm glad you have them." Iris told him, suddenly feeling emotional again. "I wish I could've been there for you too."

Barry looked heartbroken when she said it. He held her hands and looked into her eyes.

"You were." he sounded like he was getting emotional too.

Iris didn't want to fight with him, but she couldn't keep denying that she felt some anger at him for keeping his powers a secret. She turned and left but Barry followed her.

"Iris" he called, as he quickly caught up to her in the hallway.

She wiped away a few tears and just looked at him, not knowing what to say.

"Every time I falter or make a mistake, the thought of you is what picks me up and keeps me going." Barry said. 

Apparently he expected that to make her feel better, but it didn't. She keep silent and he continued. 

"Look, ok. Look. What I'm trying to say is even though you didn't know everything about my life these past few months, does NOT mean you weren't a part of it. You were. Every. Single. Day."

This did make Iris feel better. She smiled.

"Without you, there wouldn't be The Flash." Barry finished. 

Just as she was about to respond, Iris felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She saw that it was Eddie. After a second of consideration, she hit decline.


	5. Tricksters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter goes with the episode Tricksters.

“He’s headed for 5th and Main.” Cisco told Barry over the com.

Iris was sitting in a chair between Cisco and Caitlin in the cortex of S.T.A.R. Labs. Dr. Wells was was across the room, absentmindedly looking at the wall, surely deep in thought. Barry was running 1,000 mph after a jewelry store thief. Everyone but Iris was unfazed by this. She knew The Flash had superpowers and has faced a lot worse than a simple thief, but she was still concerned for best friend.

‘5th and Main’ Iris thought. Her eyes widened in sudden realization.

“Barry,” she leaned over Cisco and spoke into the com, “There’s a power plant on that street. That’s probably why he’s going there. You have to stop him before he-”

A strong gust of wind blew her hair all in her face before Iris could finish her sentence. She looked up and saw Barry removing his cowl and smiling proudly.

“Done.” he said.

Cisco high-fived him. Caitlin smiled and continued eating her lunch. Iris was impressed. This past week she jump to every chance she got to sit behind the scenes at S.T.A.R. Labs while Barry was out fighting crime. The insanity and impossibility of the whole thing hadn’t worn off yet. She wanted to shake everyone her for not freaking out about how cool this is.

Dr. Wells spun around in his wheelchair to address the group. “Another fine job, Mr. Allen. But you should always run at your maximum speed. You need to get faster. You can’t do that if you are not pushing yourself at every opportunity. Don’t get lazy, don’t get cocky with the easy criminals. Think of them as, training exercises.”

Barry looked disgruntled at these words. Nevertheless, he said, “Ok. I will next time.”

Barry looked at the clock and then waved goodbye to Caitlin and Cisco. Within seconds, The Flash suit was back on the mannequin and Barry was walking out of the cortex in his normal clothes. Iris rushed after him.

“Barry!” she called down the hallway.

He turned and looked pleasantly surprised to see her following him. “What’s up? Do you want me to give you a life to CCPN?”

“Um fun as that sounds, no.” Iris said. Barry looked a little disappointed. “I need to talk to you about something important.”

“You can tell me anything.” He said.

“Mason Bridge is missing. He hasn’t shown up for work in a week and he NEVER misses work. He hasn’t called in sick or contacted anyone. We’ve called him, emailed him, but get nothing in response. I asked Eddie to look into it but he thinks it’s nothing. Something is wrong, I feel it. I’m worried something bad must’ve happened.”

Barry just looked at her, unblinking. She feared for a moment that he was going to burst out laughing or say she was overreacting.

“I believe you.” he said finally, Iris let out a sigh of relief.

Barry looked around the hallway before lunging toward Iris. Next thing she knew, she was standing outside CCPN. Barry kept his arms on her and looked in her eyes seriously.

“Iris, I don’t want to lie or keep secrets from you anymore.” He took a deep breath before going on, “I think Dr. Wells might’ve had something to do with my mom’s murder.”

Iris was shocked. Before she could ask questions, Barry kept talking.

“It’s a long story and not a lot of it makes sense right now, but Joe’s been helping me piece it together. I think maybe, Dr. Wells could’ve done something to Mason Bridge since he believed there was something going on at S.T.A.R. Labs.”

Iris covered her mouth in disbelief. She shook her head. “I thought the weird thing going on at S.T.A.R. Labs was The Flash!”

“It may not be the only thing.” Barry said. He shoved his hands in his pockets.

Iris could tell he was conflicted and angry. She had a million questions she wanted to asked, but knew this wasn’t the right time. She put an arm on his elbow as a small sign of support. He smiled weakly.

“Just, promise me you’ll stay out of it? It’s not that I don’t trust you, I don’t want you getting hurt. If you start asking questions about Bridge then something might happen to you next. And, maybe you shouldn’t come to S.T.A.R.Labs again for a while.” He sounded scared. “Please, Iris. Just be careful.”

Iris nodded.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I never wanted you to be in danger, that’s why I didn’t tell you about my powers sooner. I will do everything I can to find out what happened and keep you safe. I-”

He stopped for a moment and Iris could see on his face how he was rethinking his words.

“Tell Eddie to drop it too, I don’t anything happening to him either. I promise I’ll get to the bottom of this.”

Iris was opening her mouth to speak when they spotted a gigantic cloud of black smoke rising from down the street.

“It’s coming from the park.” Iris said.

Barry was gone a second later.

Iris pulled out her phone and to text Eddie. She wasn’t sure what to say. She couldn’t reveal Barry’s secret identity and she couldn’t explain a situation that she could barely even fathom. Iris didn’t want to lie to Eddie, but it was the only option she thought would keep him safe. At last understanding why Barry and her dad lied to her, Iris texted Eddie.

“Mason is back at work today. Looks like you were right after all.”

* * *

 

Iris used her key to open the locked doors of Jitters. She walked into in the empty store and waited for Barry to meet her. She’d asked him to come here tonight and explain what was going on. A few minutes passed and Iris huffed at Barry’s perpetual tardiness, even with super speed. Before she got too annoyed, Barry arrived.

“Hey.” Barry said. He looked like he’d had a long day. He took a seat in one of the chairs and massaged his temples.

Iris sat down next to him. She was desperate to find out more about Harrison Wells and what he could possibly have to do with Barry’s mom’s murder. She wanted to know if he’d found out anything about Mason Bridge. But, she just took his hand. He smiled and gave it a squeeze. Holding Barry’s hand had always been comforting. Iris hadn’t realized she was in need of console too.

“I’m sorry, Iris. For everything. I know I’ve dumped a lot of information on you in the past few weeks. Time travel, that I’m The Flash, that we….” He turned his head and Iris saw him once again reconsidering whatever he was about to say. “That Harrison Wells might not be such a great guy after all.”

His heart seemed heavy. Iris wanted to make him feel better. “You saved kids at the park from The Trickster’s bombs. Everyone at CCPN is talking about how you’re a hero.”

Barry didn’t look proud of his accomplishment. “It’s hard now, fighting bad guys. I don’t think I can trust Dr. Wells but then, I think about all the bad guys he’s helped me stop. If he’s a murderer why would he care about protecting the city? He’s helped me stop so many criminals.” His face displayed his inner turmoil “Why didn’t I see this?”

He was talking to himself more than he was talking to her. Iris let him vent, it was obvious he needed to. She scooted her chair closer to his so that he could lean his head on her shoulder.

“Barry, you’ve gotten a lot of help from Dr. Wells, Cisco, and Caitlin. But, you’re still the one who’s out there fighting these guys. You’re the one putting your life on the line to save people. For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve cared about helping people. Their help has been great, but S.T.A.R. Labs or no S.T.A.R. Labs, you would still feel the need to save people. You’d still be The Flash and you’d still take down as many criminals possible.” Iris told him

“I wish that were true.” Barry said, close to tears. “I’m not the hero you think I am. It’s all them. I’m just the feet. I would’ve been dead if I didn’t have them. I would’ve screwed up and let so many people die if they hadn’t told me what to do.”

“Barry, they might be geniuses who can tell you about metahumans and building super suits and stuff. But you, Barry, you have a good heart. That’s what makes you a hero.” Iris was on the verge of crying now. “And you’ve always been a hero to me.”

She looked adoringly at him. Barry looked simultaneously proud and unworthy. He put his head in his hands. Iris stroked his back gently to try and relax him. Barry’s phone dinged and he pulled it out to see who texted him.

“Can I borrow your laptop?” he asked.

“Sure.” she didn’t saying the word before Barry speed to her computer and pulled up another broadcast from The Trickster.

* * *

 

Iris was standing in the entryway of the cortex. Her dad, Dr. Wells, Cisco, Caitlin, Barry, and Henry were all inside.

“Sorry I didn’t get here sooner.” Iris said, alerting the other to her presence. Her dad and Barry looked nervous. Henry beamed.

“It’s my dad and Barry’s fault, they don’t always tell me things right away.” Iris teased.

“Iris!” Henry said, coming over to hug her.

“It’s good to see you again, Henry.”

“Thanks for looking out for Barry.” he said, making Iris blush. “He needs to get out of that crime lab sometimes.”

“I try to get him a social life.” Iris saw that Barry looked a little embarrassed. “I also try to remind him what an amazing hero he is.”

“You’re all heroes in my book.” Henry said to the group.

Iris looked at the floor. That comment wouldn’t help Barry’s self-esteem.

“Especially you, Dr. Wells.” Henry moved towards Dr. Wells and shook his hand. “Thank you for everything that you’ve done for my son.”

“Your son is an extraordinary man, Dr. Allen. And I will do everything in my power to ensure Barry’s future.”

Iris felt as if she could reach out and physically feel the awkwardness. She looked at Barry, who seemed to be trying to hold himself together. Henry pulled Barry in for a hug. When they separated, Iris could tell neither of them wanted to let go.

“It’s time, Joe.” Henry put his wrists together, ready for her dad to slap on the handcuffs.

“No.” her dad said.

“No?” Henry questioned.

“No.” her dad repeated.

“Ok.”

They walked off together, no cuffs necessary. That made Iris happy. She was glad their strange situation didn’t prevent her dad and Henry from getting along. Caitlin put her arms around Barry as he watched his dad leave.

“It seemed like you could use a hug too.” Caitlin said before leaving.

Iris walked out the cortex behind Caitlin, expecting Barry and Dr. Wells to come too. She stopped walking when she heard Dr. Wells talking to Barry.

“Your father is an extraordinary man. You’re lucky to have him.”

“I’m lucky to have you too.” Barry said.

Iris was surprised to hear him say that. Had Barry changed his mind about Dr. Wells being involved in his mom’s murder? Barry came out of the cortex. Iris took his hand again and they walked out together.

* * *

 

Iris was standing with her dad, nervously looking out the window of Barry’s lab and mentally preparing herself for what was about to happen. She heard footsteps, it was time.

“Hi, Joe.” Eddie said. “Iris, what are you doing here?”  
Iris couldn’t speak. Her mouth was dry and her lips were cemented closed. Her dad looked at her hoping she would start the conversation. Iris spun Barry’s desk chair towards Eddie and gestured for him to sit down.

“We need to tell you something.” Iris stuttered.

“I know that you asked a few people about Mason Bridge’s disappearance. So, people know that you know he’s gone.” her dad said.

Iris gulped. She felt guilty for ever asking him to look into it. She put him in danger.

“Yeah, but then Iris told me he was fine.” Eddie said.

“I lied.” Iris admitted.

“You could be in trouble and so could Iris, so need to be in the loop so you can protect yourself and her.” her dad said.

Barry entered the room in his Flash suit. The wind he created blew the papers on his desk.

“Detective.” Barry said, not bothering to mask his voice.

Eddied watched in astonishment as Barry pulled back his cowl. Iris braced herself for what Eddie might say. He was still gaping at Barry as he slowly stood up.

“You’re going to start the rumor that Mason Bridge moved to Brazil for year to be with a girl and hike in the Amazon.” her dad told Eddie.


	6. Honesty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris deals with Eddie's reaction to The Flash's true identity. Warning: super angsty chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter goes with 1x18 All Star Team Up
> 
> Ok, I don't know many chapter this is going to be. I severely underestimated how much I wanted to write lol. I initially planned on ending the AU once Barry and Iris get together (because spoiler alter: westallen is endgame here and everywhere) but I don't think I want to stop there anymore. I really enjoy writing this and you guys seem to like reading it, so I'm going to continue it indefinitely. I think I'll finish off season 1 and maybe even go into season 2. I don't know. If I learned anything from my first multi-chapter fic, it's that I suck at planning how many chapters a work will be lol.

Central City was better than ever. Each night, the citizens would awake to the news that criminals were arrested at the scene of their crimes. Felons were being taken off the streets in record time. Catching the perps in the act made for easy convictions on the DA's part. As the days passed, there were fewer and fewer criminals daring to try anything with the CCPD and The Flash running such a tight ship. Respect for the officers and the superhero vigilante were at an all time high. The sense of safety had everyone in a good mood, except for Iris.

Over the past few weeks, Iris and Eddie spent most night at home in relative silence, only speaking when necessary and showing no affection. Now that Eddie was the one acting aloof, Iris supposed he needed time to cope with the recent revelations. She gave him his space, even though she wished he'd talk to her. She felt guilty now that she was in the position Eddie was in not long ago. He handled it with more grace than she was. She knew that this tactic wasn't working but was nervous that trying something different would only make things worse. Despite her efforts to pretend everything was going to be ok in the hopes that it would, Iris constantly felt like something bad was going to happen. A looming sense of danger did nothing to help her growing feelings of isolation and fear.

Iris sat in her car outside the precinct. She took a deep breath and got out of the car before she could overthink things again. She went into the building and found Eddie's desk. He was doing some paperwork and didn't notice her approach. Once she was next to him, he looked up.

"Iris, what you doing here?" he asked. He seemed a little annoyed.

Iris was still deciding what to say. Should she bring up Barry's secret? Should she tell him about Harrison Wells possibly being a murderer? She dismissed those thoughts and chose to keep it casual. Perhaps pretending to be normal would allow her to feel normal.

"I am following up on my story about crime in Central City. Or, lack thereof. Teaming up with The Flash has made justice a little more swift." Iris cocked her head and smiled. She regretted her words once she saw Eddie's face drop. Maybe he was still a little jealous of The Flash and having Barry helping out so much made Eddie feel insecure. "You caught a flash, armed robber, and two jewelry thieves last night. You're pretty good."

A tiny smile crossed Eddie's face but vanished in the blink of an eye. He went back to looking at his paperwork. Iris was frustrated and threw caution to the wind. They couldn't keep living like this.

"What is going on with you lately? You've been acting really weird and withdrawn." She hoped she didn't sound accusatory. She leaned down to him and whispered, "Are you mad that Barry told you?"

"No," he said plainly. "I'm mad that you didn't."

"Eddie, it wasn't my secret to tell. And I only for a little while before you found out."

"You were going to S.T.A.R. Labs all the time. All those lies you told me to cover for what you were really doing, helping The Flash."

Eddie was gripping his pencil so hard Iris was surprised it hadn't snapped in two. She could tell he'd been waiting for the chance to say this. Maybe things had to get worse before they could get better.

"He's my best friend. Of course I'm going to help him in any way I can."

Eddie rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Barry's your best friend. You assured me that I had nothing to worry about when it came to you and Barry. You assured me I had nothing to worry about when it came to those meetups with The Flash you hid from me for weeks. I'm not sure if you were just lying to me, or if you're lying to yourself too. But Iris, you were lying."

Iris blinked. She wasn't expecting him to say that.

"Why'd you stop going there everyday? Huh? Did you finally feel bad about lying to me?" Eddie's voice got louder. Their relationship drama had caught the attention of a few onlookers.

"Tell me!" Eddie almost shouted.

Iris turned and left. She didn't look back at Eddie but heard a loud thud and knew he must've slammed something on his desk. The onlookers quickly pretended to be busy with simple tasks as Iris passed them by. Thankfully, the tears didn't start falling till she was out of sight in her car. The truth was, Iris only stopped going to S.T.A.R. Labs because asked her to. He was concerned for her safety if she spent too much time around Dr. Wells. Iris didn't want to damage her relationship with Eddie further by lying *again* but she couldn't tell him the truth and expect him to understand. Iris slapped her steering wheel in frustration. She reclined her seat and closed her eyes. Why was real life so fucking complicated? On TV, drama made things funs and more interesting. Why couldn't this be Dawson's Creek? After a few moments of rest, Iris wiped away her tears, fixed her makeup, and drove to work.

* * *

 

At lunch, Iris went to Jitters. She was hoping Barry would be there and she was not disappointed. He was sitting at a table with Felicity Smoak.

"Barry!" she whined as she came up to their table. Without asking or caring about being rude, Iris pulled up a chair to sit with them. They didn't seem to mind.

"Hi Iris!" Felicity greeted.

"Are you ok?" Barry put a hand on Iris' arm and looked her over. Barry could always tell when something was bothering Iris no matter how hard she tried not to let it show.

Iris noticed that Barry also looked frazzled. These past few weeks couldn't have been easy on him either. At least he had his work as The Flash to keep his mind occupied. Without a crime to report on, Iris' job consisted of eight torturous hours trying to think about but her life.

"What is wrong with you? Is everyone in Central City in a bad mood? I thought Central City was supposed to be the fun one!" Felicity said.

Iris shuffled her hands nervously.

"It's ok. Felicity knows about everything." Barry said. His eyes suddenly widened and he added, "Well, not EVERYTHING."

Iris smiled to show her understanding. Felicity looked interested but didn't ask. Iris was relieved to know the full story what happened at the waterfront was a secret to more than just Eddie.

"The guilt of lying to Eddie so many times is eating away at me." Iris admitted. She looked at Barry. "I'm not mad, I just want to know how you lied to me for so long?"

Some guilt must still be plaguing Barry because her question made him uncomfortable.

Felicity spoke and spared Barry from answering. "For starters," she said "don't think of it as lying. Think of it as protecting him from getting hurt with a fib."

Iris shook her head. She was grateful that Felicity wanted to help but Iris knew that truth was that she lied because she didn't want Eddie to know about Barry changing the timeline. She was mortified at the idea of Eddie finding out that she proclaimed her love for Barry and kissed him before a he traveled through time. She was still kicking herself for letting her emotions take over in that moment of adrenaline surging weakness. Iris also didn't want Eddie to know how much she liked working with The Flash. She hoped that since Eddie was working with him now he'd understand the appeal of being part of a superhero's team. But, Iris didn't get that lucky.

"There has been so much distance between us ever since..." Iris looked Barry in the eye, "EVERYTHING."

Barry nodded. He's cheeks flushed pink.

"I was feeling weird and now then when I start feeling better, he starts feeling weird." Iris told Barry and Felicity as they were her therapists. "He's losing faith in our relationship."

Iris pretended not to see the glimmer of hope that appeared in Barry's eyes.

"I have an idea!" Felicity chimed in. Her perkiness making Iris simultaneously happier and a little irritated. "Why don't we all go to dinner tonight? A little wine and dine is sure to bridge the gap."

Neither Barry or Iris responded. Iris thought it could be a good idea.

"Come on! We all had fun last time." Felicity insisted.

That was true. Obviously, Felicity and Barry didn't work out but Iris was pretty sure they were both into each other for awhile. A happy second of curiosity pushed her guilt about Eddie to the back of Iris' mind as she wondered how far Barry and Felicity had gotten.

"I think it sounds like a good idea." Iris said. "It will be nice to do a regular couple activity."

"Barry Allen, fifth wheel." Barry lifted up his mug of coffee and took a sip after saying it.

Iris and Felicity giggled.

"Now for the hard part," Iris realized out loud, "convincing Eddie to go."

* * *

 

It wasn't as hard as Iris feared. Eddie's agreeing to go gave Iris a more optimistic outlook on their future together. She put on a tight, white dress that she knew he loved. They were the first ones to arrive at the restaurant. They waited for the other at the bar by the entrance. Iris was shocked at how empty the place was. She didn't see a single costumer come in or walk by the entire time they waited.

"They're a little bit late." Eddie said, checking his phone for the time.

Iris opened her mouth, about to say 'Probably because Barry is with them.' but thought better of it. She drummed her fingers on the bar. Eddie noticed and took her hand. They lock eyes and all of a sudden the moment felt extremely intimate.

"I love you." Eddie said.

"I love you too." Iris replied.

Eddie smiled. He placed a tender kiss on her cheek. Iris wanted to cry.

"I'm worried about us." she chocked out.

A crease formed between Eddie's brows. "Why?"

Iris snorted. Wasn't it obvious? "We aren't communicating. I kept secrets from you and I'm sorry. But you've been keeping things from me too."

Eddie looked confused.

"Your feelings. You've been threatened by Barry since day 1 of our relationship. You felt threatened by The Flash when I told you about my blog. I did feel bad about keeping things from you. I was happy when my dad and Barry said they were going to tell you. But ever since that night, you've been holding in all of your emotions, building up resentment towards me and Barry. Everyone feels insecure sometimes. It's nothing to be ashamed of. I wish you would've told me that night that you were mad about me going to S.T.A.R. Labs. I wish we had this fight weeks ago so we could've been over it by now." Iris explained.

Eddie's face was screwed up in deep concentration. After a moment of consideration, he sighed. "You're right. We need to talk about the stuff that's bothering us, even if it's hard."

Iris was debating wether or not to tell Eddie about... EVERYTHING. She was aware that telling him could start a whole new fight, but not telling him was wrong. If they were going to piece their relationship back together, they had to be honest with each other.

"Babe, I gotta tell you something and I don't know how to explain it but just know that I'm really sorry."

Eddie was about to speak but Iris didn't give him the chance. She needed to get this out before she lost her nerve.

"Do you remember when Mark Mardon killed a coroner and was going after my dad?"

Eddied nodded.

"Well, on that day, and I know this is hard to believe-"

"Nothing is hard to believe anymore." Eddie interjected.

"Barry traveled through time."

Eddie's face was blank. Apparently, he lied when he said nothing was hard to believe. Iris could tell he didn't believe her. She laid her head down on the bar.

"OK," she said, exasperated. She picked up her head and flung back her hair. "You know that The Flash can run faster than the speed of sounds. Well, if he runs fast enough, he can actually travel back in time. He went from the evening of that day to the night before, when he was called to the crime scene of the coroner's murder. He changed things because what originally happened that day was just too awful.

Mardon attacked CCPD. Captain Singh was almost killed. Mardon kidnapped my dad and told me I had to meet him at the waterfront, without the police. Barry went with me. Before we found Mardon and my dad, we saw the tsunami forming. It was horrifying. It could've leveled Central City. Barry told me to get as far away from the waterfront as I could, but I wasn't going to just leave him, or my dad."

Iris got emotional thinking about her bizarre "memory" of the incident. She wiped her eyes, not wanting to mess up the makeup she'd spent 30 minutes on. Eddie held her hands. He looked concerned and Iris knew that he believed her now. She couldn't make all this up if she tried.

"The next thing I'm going to tell you is going to make you hate me. I'm sorry in advance. I kind of hate myself for doing it. I umm- I told- told Barry that I had been thinking about him. A lot. And not just as a friend anymore." Iris couldn't meet Eddie's eyes as she said it.

Eddie's hands went limp, but he didn't let go of hers.

"We were- It was the same? Same day? We were still together." Eddie stuttered.

"Yes." Iris breathed. "But that's not even the worst part."

Eddie looked wary. There was no turning back now, Iris had to tell him.

"I told him that I'd been thinking about him and he said that he's been thinking about me too." Iris gulped. "He has for a long time, actually."

There was silence. Eddie was staring out the window. Both of his hand dropped hers and clenched into fists.

"And, we were scared. The wave was going to kill us and we weren't thinking. He umm, he kissed me. And, I kissed him back."

It should've felt like a weight being lifted off her shoulder, but Iris felt more guilty than ever. "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry." she said through her tears. She saw one gliding down Eddie's cheek too.

"What happened after that?" Eddie asked through gritted teeth.

Iris tried to remember. She hadn't expected Eddie to care about anything else after she admitted that. "Barry was going to try and stop the tsunami from hitting the city. He put on his Flash suit and told me to run away. And that's all I can remember about that other version of that day."

Again, silence. Iris was desperate for Eddie to say something, anything. She'd happily take yelling over tears and this soul crushing silence. She had to break the silence before it killed her.

"It technically never happened." Iris said with the vain hope of making him feel better. "But, I still regret it. You're a great person and I don't want to hurt you. I'm mad at myself for kissing somebody else while we're together and it will never happen again!"

"It wasn't just somebody else," Eddie said in a faint voice. "It was Barry."

Iris put her head back down on the bar. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Eddie turn to face her again. He looked down at her with eyes full of hurt and realization.

"Do you regret what you said?" Eddie asked.

Iris didn't answer. She wasn't sure what the true answer was. She spent so much time forcing herself not to think about it.

"Iris," Eddie was more insistent now. He put a hand on her shoulder and gently lifted her off the bar. "Do you love him?"

"I love you." she whispered.

"That may be true. But, it doesn't answer my question."

Iris couldn't answer the question. In years to come, Iris would reflect on this moment and realize that because she didn't immediately deny her feelings for Barry only made things worse. But, Iris couldn't travel though time. So her current self just sat there, looking at Eddie with remorse.

Eddie cried out and more tears came flooding out of his eyes. Just then, the door opened and Felicity, Barry, and a man Iris assumed to be Felicity's boyfriend, Ray Palmer, entered.


	7. Some Would Say I'm The Reverse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris and Barry are both dealing with conflicting feelings and fears. This chapter picks up exactly where the previous one left off. It takes place during the latter part of 1x18 All Star Team Up.

Iris would've liked nothing more than to disappear into thin air. If only she had super speed and could run far away from the restaurant, into a wide open field, where she could scream out her frustration. If only a black hole would open up and swallow her. If only a metahuman barged in for a fight with The Flash, allowing her to go ignored.

"Hey guys." Iris head Felicity's cheerful voice.

Eddie left, pushing his way past Barry and Felicity. Iris kept her eyes on a particular spot of the wooden floor, unable to bare the confused and concerned looks the others were likely giving her.

"Iris," Barry came closer to her. "Are you ok?"

Iris picked up a napkin from the bar and patted her tears dry. She plastered on the most convincing smile she could and met Barry's gaze. "Fine." she said. Eager to change the subject, Iris got up to greet Felicity and her boyfriend. She shook Ray's hand first.

"Hi, I'm Ray Palmer. It's nice to meet you." he said, with a smile that was a little too empathetic.

"You look great!" Iris told Felicity before giving her a hug.

"Me?" Felicity laughed. "Check you out!"

"Thanks." Iris said. Felicity and Ray seemed happy to forget the awkward first few seconds of their evening and move on. Barry on the other hand, was still eyeing Iris with trepidation. Ever since they were little kids, he was always able to tell when was wrong. Lying to him was useless as he could read her like a book. As the maitre d' approached and informed the party their table was ready, Iris mouthed to Barry, "Later." He nodded in agreement.

"Shall we?" Ray asked Felicity. She took his arm and they walked to the table.

Trying to make polite conversation and keep herself distracted from her emotional anguish, Iris asked Ray "How'd you get a reservation here? I've tried, but it's always booked."

"I've got some connections." Ray said.

"Here's your table, sir." The maitre d' gestured to a large, circular table in the center of the room. All the other tables were empty and the wait staff was standing at the table, ready for them. Everyone looked shocked, except Ray.

"I thought it would be nice if it was quiet so I bought out the entire restaurant." Ray explained as if it was a casual thing everyone does. Noticing the group's expressions he looked to Felicity and asked, "Too much?"

"Just a tab, sweetie." she responded.

They all walked up to the table. Ray pulled out a chair for Felicity and Barry did the same for Iris. The one extra chair which should've been Eddie's made Iris uncomfortable. She was glad everyone was tactful enough not to mention it. A member of the wait staff dragged it away without a word. Conversation started and Iris forced herself to stay engaged in it and not let her mind drift to thoughts of Eddie. Barry was looking at Iris the entire time. Sometimes the looks seemed like a selfless offer reassurance, sometimes they seemed like greedy glances she wasn't sure if he wanted her to see. Ray asked how Iris and Barry met, so Barry told the story of how they've been best friends since elementary school. Iris asked how Ray and Felicity met and he told them about how he bought the company that Felicity was employed at, forcing her to join him at Palmer Tech.

"It's not as creepy as it sounds." Felicity assured Iris and Barry. Everyone laughed. The conversation continued and Iris couldn't shake the feeling of how she and Barry seemed to be on a double date with Ray and Felicity. Both pairs had the same chemistry. If somebody didn't know better, they'd assume Barry and Iris were a couple. The first course of food arrived, it looked very fancy but maybe not fit for the palette of a girl who was used to eating at Big Belly Burger.

Ray told Barry how much he envied the time Barry got to spend at S.T.A.R. Labs, citing Harrison Wells as a person hero. Barry immediately tensed up. The other might not have realized, but Iris did. Barry was smiling insincerely and nodding too much. He looked clamy.

"Um, I'll be right back. Just excuse me." Barry got up and exited the room through large wooden doors.

"I'll be back too, excuse me." Iris said, she hurried after Barry.

On the other side of the large wooden doors was an extremely anxious Barry Allen. Hyperventilating and face in his hands, Barry turned to look at Iris.

"I wanted to make sure you're ok." she said.

The door opened behind them and Felicity entered.

"Ok. You've been acting super strange ever since Ray and I got to Central City. What is going on with, and don't say 'it's a bad time.' Oliver might be joining the league of assassins, Laurel's the Black Canary, and Thea is training with Malcolm so I know about bad times."

Barry's face gave away his inner turmoil. Iris put a hand on his shoulder and tried to ease it's tension. "It's about Wells, isn't it?" Iris asked.

Barry nodded. "Joe and I found out that... Wells, isn't who he says he is." Felicity didn't seem to understand. Barry shook his head. "He's the man that killed my mother."

"Oh my god, but he's been helping you.." Felicity was now lost in the same sea of questions Barry and Iris were.

"Get faster, stronger. I know." Barry finished Felicity's sentence.

"Why?"

"I DON'T KNOW. I don't know anything anymore. Especially, who I can and can't trust."

"So you think, Cisco and Caitlin are helping him? That's impossible."

"Is it?"

"Yes. They were trying to save you today, Barry. They did save you."

Iris was curious what Felicity meant by that. "Save you?" she asked. "What happened?"

"It's nothing. I'm ok." Barry said. "Wells has also saved me, many times. I thought that Wells was a great man. And I was SO wrong about him. What if I'm wrong about everything else?"

The door opened again before Felicity or Iris could respond. Ray peeked his head in. "Hey guys, it's getting a little lonely out here."

"It's my fault." Iris took the blame. "I was upset because.... Eddie and I just broke up."

Felicity's face fell in sympathy. The anger and fear that plagued Barry's face a moment ago contorted into something else, something almost, happy.

"Barry and Felicity were just comforting me." Iris finished.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude. Take your time." Ray said, closing the door. Felicity went to be with Ray, leaving Barry and Iris alone.

"Is that true?" Barry asked, hopeful.

"Unfortunately, yes." Iris sighed.

"I'm sorry."

"Barry, don't lie." She knew Barry was trying his best to be respectful of her feelings, but he wasn't doing the best job of concealing his happiness.

"I'm not lying. I feel bad." Barry said, earnestly. "Eddie is a good guy. I was jealous and I tried to hate him, but I couldn't. He is good, kind, honest. And most importantly, he loved you and treated you right."

Iris furrowed her brows. "I'm just surprised. You going out of your way like this to say nice things about Eddie."

"It's the truth." Barry held Iris' hands. She met his eyes and tried not to cry. "Eddie makes you happy. All I ever want is for you to be happy, Iris."

"We broke up because I told him about our kiss."

Barry looked guilty. "I'm sorry. It's all my fault."

"It's not."

"It is."

"No, really, it's not." Iris didn't want him to have another thing to feel upset about. "I'm the one who told you I couldn't stop thinking about you. I kissed you even though I was in a relationship. I was the one who cheated."

"But, I knew about your relationship and I didn't care. You're a good person, Iris. I know you weren't trying to hurt Eddie. I wasn't even thinking about Eddie."

"That's just it!" Iris cried. "I wasn't thinking about Eddie either. All I could think about in that moment was you, Barry. You are what I've spent most of my time thinking about ever since you told me you loved me. It made me realize that the way I feel about you, isn't the way normal, platonic, best friends feel. I think I've been in love with you for a while but since it came so natural, I didn't even understand that it was love I was feeling."

Barry smiled. It was so nice to see him happy.

"I just felt so ashamed of cheating on Eddie that I wanted to pretend it never happened. I tried to fix things with him, but it's not going to work. I was stupid for thinking it could. I only made it worse by staying with him and ignoring how I feel. He is such an amazing guy. He deserves better than a girl who's thinking about somebody else." Iris lamented.

Barry was about to say something, when his phone buzzed. "Uh, emergency at S.T.A.R. Labs."

"It's ok if you have to go." Iris hugged him goodbye. She would've loved to go with him, but she knew he'd feel better if she stayed away from S.T.A.R. Labs. A gust of wind blew past her, and Barry was gone.

 

* * *

 

When Iris arrived home at the apartment she shared with Eddie, he was not there. Part of her was relieved to avoid a confrontation, another part of her wanted the closure of officially ending the relationship in person. Iris tearfully gathered her most important possessions and put them in a bag to bring to her dad’s house. She left a note for Eddie on the kitchen counter.

_Eddie,_

_I’m truly sorry about the way things turned out. I hate that I hurt you. I hate that I betrayed you. You are an amazing man. You deserve somebody better than me. Somebody who will love you, and only you with all her heart. Somebody who’s feelings aren’t as complicated as mine. Somebody who’ll make you happier than I can._

_Even though our relationship is ending, and it’s painful, I don’t regret it. Not one minute of it. You made me so happy. You were the first serious boyfriend I’ve ever had. You were the first person I said “I love you” to. I wish I hadn’t done what I did. I wish I would’ve come to terms with my feelings before I acted on them. I can’t apologize enough._

_I’ll never forget you, Eddie. Thank you for all the good memories._

_Love forever,_  
_Iris_

Iris stood at in the doorway and took one last look at the apartment. She remembered all the good times they had watching TV or cuddling on the couch. She remembered the first time she tried to make dinner and accidently set off the smoke detectors.

“Bye.” Iris whispered to the place she briefly called home. She wiped away a tear before closing the door.

Iris stood at in the doorway and took one last look at the apartment. She remembered all the good times they had watching TV or cuddling on the couch. She remembered the first time she tried to make dinner and accidentally set off the smoke detectors.

“Bye.” Iris whispered to the place she briefly called home. She wiped away a tear before closing the door.

Joe wasn’t home from work yet, so Iris was spared the awkward conversation with him about her breakup. She sat on the couch with her laptop, ready to work on her article about mysterious bees attacking prominent tech figures in Central City. Drowning her emotional fatigue with coffee, she was making good progress.

Barry came home sooner than Iris expected. He gave Iris a sheepish smile as he took off his shoes. She could tell he was upset too.

“Hey.” Iris said.

“Are you ok?” Barry asked.

Iris considered the question. She thought about how it felt confessing to Eddie. She thought about how it felt gathering her things and leaving the apartment for good. She imagined how Eddie might react when he got home and read the letter she left.

“No.” she finally answered. “But, I’ll get better. Right now, the reality of the break still stings.”

Barry flinched.

“Sorry.” Iris said. “Poor choice of words since I’m assuming The Flash went after these killer bees?”

“They almost killed me earlier today.”

“What?” Iris was horrified by this revelation he seemed to think nothing of. “You almost died!??!!?”

“But I didn’t.”

“This isn’t a joke. I worry about you.”

Barry smiled. “You do?”

“Of course! Fast as you are, you’re not invincible. And you’re dealing with a lot of dangerous people.” Iris said. Barry looked appreciatively at her. “That’s why, I’m glad you have friends like Cisco and Caitlin to look out for you.”

Barry looked at the floor.

“Barry, when you got struck by lightning, none of the doctors knew what to do. You kept going into cardiac arrest. You died. Over and over again. The entire hospital staff was baffled. I was beside myself. I cried all night. We were losing hope.

That’s why my dad let Dr. Wells take you to S.T.A.R. Labs. They saved your life. I don’t know what ulterior motives Wells might’ve had, but he still saved you. I didn’t talk to him as much as Caitlin and Cisco so I don’t know him very well. But, Caitlin and Cisco took great care of you. I know that. Every time I’d visit I’d be impressed. My dad and I wouldn’t have let them keep you there if we didn’t have faith in them. I was nervous about it at first, but they proved to me how much they cared. That care didn’t stop when you woke up. I’ve seen how close you three have become. Cisco and Caitlin are your friends.

They brought you back to me, and I’ll always be grateful to them. Giving them a chance was the best decision my dad and I ever made. If you tell them what’s going on, I think they’ll not only believe you, but help you. You just have to give them a chance.”

Iris’ words seemed to touch Barry. He stared at the floor, deep in thought. Iris put her hand on his arm to comfort him. Finally, he turned to Iris and smiled. “Thank you for your advice. It’s good to have you home.”

“Just don’t die on us again, ok?” Iris laughed.

“I’ll do my best.”

 

* * *

 

The next day was the first day in a long time that Iris felt at peace. There wasn’t a dark cloud looming over her that rained down shame about her actions in the erased timeline. Her dad told her that Eddie was at work and appeared to be doing ok. Iris figured he was relieved too. Iris texted Felicity goodbye since they didn’t have another chance to meet up before she and Ray returned to Starling City.

Iris made plans with Barry, Caitlin, and Cisco to go sing karaoke at a bar that night. She went to CCPD after Eddie’s shift had ended to avoid an uncomfortable encounter and pick up Barry. She got to his lab and saw that her dad was there.

“Dad?” she was surprised to see him there.

Caitlin and Cisco walked into the lab.

“Alright, alright! Who’s ready for some, _kareeeee ooo keeee_ ” Cisco sang.

The room was silent. Iris felt tense.

“We are not going to karaoke, are we?” Caitlin asked.

“No.” Barry confirmed. He walked with his hands in his pockets over to a bulletin board. “This is everything we know about my mom’s murder and The Reverse Flash.”

Iris remembered seeing Barry looking at this board and thinking about his mom’s murder. He told her that he looked at it everyday before he became The Flash.

“I’ve been gathering information on him for a long time. And,” Barry reached up and pulled down a new board, filled with pictures and newspaper clippings of Dr. Wells. “This is everything we know about Dr. Wells.”

Caitlin and Cisco both looked confused.

“I don’t understand.” Caitlin said. “What do Dr. Wells and The Reverse-Flash have to do with each other?”

Barry hesitated to answer. He looked at Joe and then at Iris. That seemed to give him confidence. “They’re the same person.”

Caitlin smiled as if he just told a joke. “That’s impossible.”

“Look, Caitlin, it took me a long time to believe it to, but, it’s him.”

“Dr. Wells is a speedster?” she scoffed. “He’s paralyzed.”

“Is he thought?” Joe chimed in.

“Why would he kill Barry’s mother? It doesn’t make any sense.” Caitlin was in denial. She looked from Barry to Cisco quickly. “Cisco, say something!”

Cisco didn’t say anything. He appeared to be in shock. Iris tried to reassure him by placing a hand on his shoulder. However, when she did, she was transported to another room.

It looked like she was in S.T.A.R. Labs. Did Barry run her here? It was a room in the building she’d never been in before. Iris looked around the room and saw Cisco. He was standing still, in front of some strange prison like contraption. A blue forcefield was keeping the prison, the man in yellow, inside. Time felt like it stopped. Iris was the only one moving. The sensation was the same one she experienced a few weeks ago at CCPN when she first remembered the erased timeline.

Iris moved closer to Cisco. All of a sudden, time restarted. The man in yellowed rapidly disappeared and reappeared inside the prison.

“Some would say I’m the reverse.” a dark, scratchy voice said.

Iris and Cisco realized at the same time that the man in yellow was a hologram. Iris felt chills run up her spine.

The sound of clapping echoed behind them. When they turned, they saw Dr. Wells. He was standing, no wheelchair in sight. He approached Cisco, ignoring Iris.

“Very clever, Cisco.” Dr. wells said.

Terror spread across Cisco’s face. Iris took a deep breath. All of a sudden, time seemed to jump ahead. Dr. Wells moved his arm at high speed and plunged it through Cisco’s chest.


	8. Everything We Know About Harrison Wells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris tells the other what she just saw. They try to figure out if it was the future, past, or something else.

Iris wasn't sure what happened next. Maybe she screamed, maybe she was silent. Maybe she collapsed on the floor, maybe she stood like a statue. Maybe her eyes were wide with fear, maybe she closed them. After watching Dr. Wells murder Cisco by plunging a vibrating hand trough his chest, Iris went numb. The next thing she knew, Barry, her dad, Caitlin, and Cisco were standing around her. She was seated at Barry's desk. Caitlin pressed a cold compress onto Iris' forehead. Everyone looked concerned. 

"What happened?" her dad asked.

"I... I don't know." Iris shook her head. "Cisco!" she reached her hand out to him. On his wrist, Iris could feel the thump of his pulse. She took a heavy breath of relief. 

This only added to the confusion of everyone else in the room. 

"Hey, Iris." Cisco said.

"Hey." she smiled. "You're ok."

Cisco looked from Caitlin to Iris. "Was I not ok before?"

"Were we at S.T.A.R. Labs?" Iris asked.

"Yeah, that's where Caitlin and I work. But now, we're here, at CCPD." Cisco spoke slowly, as if talking to a disturbed mental patient. 

"No. I was just there. Just a few seconds ago." Iris started shaking as the vivid memory replayed in her mind.

"Hey, hey." Barry put his arms around Iris. "You're ok. Everything is going to be ok."

"Barry," Iris looked into his eyes, kind and loving. In them she found the strength to talk about what she just experience. "I think it happened again. Did you time travel?" 

"No." Barry said. "I only did it that one time. Do you.... remember something else?"

Iris nodded. "I think so."

"Wait, you look really shaken up. If you already remembered me being kidnapped and Barry telling you that he's The Flash, what could be more shocking than that?" Joe asked.

"Was I at S.T.A.R. Labs the day that you erased?" Iris asked Barry.

"No. It was just me, Cisco, Caitlin, and Wells." Barry recalled.

"Is there some kind of basement room with a weird, prison, trap thingy that has a blue force field?" Iris tried to describe the prison she saw.

Everyone stared at Iris as if they'd just seen a ghost materialize. 

"How did you know about that?" Barry asked.

"I saw it. I saw the man in yellow. He was trapped inside it. Cisco was standing next to it and the man in yellow started disappearing and then reappearing. It was almost like, a computer screen flickering. It was like.... like..." The word was on the tip of her tongue but Iris struggled to find it. "Like, a hologram."

"Maybe she saw us trap The Reverse-Flash at Christmas?" her dad suggested.

"But, we never saw him disappear then reappear." Cisco pointed out.

"What happened next, Iris?" Barry asked.

A photo of Harrison Wells that was taped to Barry's board caught Iris' attention. It was disturbing how he looked so calm in that picture and so calm when he murdered Cisco. Iris needed a second to catch her breath before she continued. "Umm, next, uh. Cisco seemed, surprised. Or, confused. It was like he just saw something he didn't expect to. And then," Iris couldn't bring herself to keep going.

"Then what?" Barry encouraged her.

"Then.... Dr. Wells came in. And he was walking, no wheelchair. Just walking right up to Cisco." 

Caitlin turned away from Iris and the rest of the group. "That's absurd."

Barry held up a hand in Caitlin's direction to stop her from speaking. "What did Wells do?" He asked with concern.

Iris looked at Cisco again. "Wells told Cisco how clever he if for figuring it out."

Cisco smiled. He apparently thought this was a compliment. "What did I figure out?"

"That, Dr. Wells is him. He's the man in yellow, The Reverse-Flash." Iris gulped.

The smile on Cisco's face was gone. All eyes were now on Cisco. Everyone seemed uneasy, except Caitlin, who acted like she was watching an unconvincing horror movie. "Iris," Caitlin began in a sweet but firm tone. "Whatever you saw, was just a dream or a hallucination. Cisco is right here." Caitlin put two fingers on his neck to feel his choroid pulse. "He's alive."

"I know." Iris was grateful for that. 

"What if she got That's So Raven powers and just saw my future death?" Cisco began to panic.

"The only other time I experienced something like what just happened to me, I was seeing the day before. A day that Barry relived. He changed things and I remembered some of the parts that didn't end up happening in the do-over." Iris tried to make sense of her experiences and reassure Cisco.

"I didn't time travel. This is the first time I've lived through today." Barry said.

Joe snapped his fingers. "What if Wells traveled through time!"

Caitlin laughed.

"If Barry can, The Reverse-Flash probably can too." Joe reasoned. 

"Why would he time travel?" Iris asked.

Barry shrugged. "Maybe something terrible happened. That's why I did."

"But you said you didn't even realize you were doing it."

"That's true."

"You were acting weird that day." Joe remembered. "I knew something was up, but I didn't know what. It was because the same things were happening around you. Wells seemed fine yesterday. It wasn't like he knew anything we didn't."

"We know he's a good liar." Barry said.

"Guys," Cisco interjected. "What if Wells killed me on the day Barry traveled through time?"

It sounded far-fetched to Iris. "I was able to remember being at the waterfront on the erased day immediately. Why would it take so long for me to remember this?"

Everyone silently considered this point. Then, Barry's eyes bulged. "Cisco." he said.

"Yeah?" Cisco responded.

"No, Iris, you touched Cisco! This is the first time you two have been around each other since I time traveled! I think that's what made you suddenly remember." Barry declared. "We saw you freak out the second you put a hand on Cisco."

He was right! Iris' jaw dropped. "That's it!"

"So, I died like a month ago?" Cisco looked more confused than ever.

"I think so. But, since I went back in time, not only did I save Central City from a tidal wave, I stopped Wells from killing you." Barry said.

"You saw Wells kill him that day?" Caitlin asked, horrified.

"No." Barry allowed. "But, it could've happened when I wasn't there. Wells said that messing wit time would change more than I'd expect."

"Wells said it's a mystery how I can remember a timeline that didn't end up happening." Iris could picture him creepily cleaning his glasses as he spoke to her and Barry in the hallway of S.T.A.R. Labs. 

Joe rubbed his temples. "Look, we've been investigating Wells for six months. It's lead us nowhere."

Barry looked dejected. Iris took his hand and he flashed her a quick smile.

"I think we need to go back to the beginning." Joe said.

"What's the beginning?" Caitlin asked.

"The car accident that killed Tess." Barry said. "Dr. McGee told me that after Tess died, it was Wells became a like a complete stranger. Just, a different person entierly."

"If we think Wells killed your mom, Barry, is there a chance he did the same thing to Tess Morgan?" Joe wondered.

Caitlin threw her head back in frustration. She acted like a person trapped with insane, conspiracy theorist. "Of course not! The love of his life DIED!" Caitlin looked pleadingly at Barry. "You of all people can understand how grief can change a person."

"It's worth investigating." Joe said. "We have to learn everything we can about that night, see where it leads us. I think we need to go to Starling City."

"Won't Wells get suspicious if all of us leave?" Iris knew how smart Dr. Wells is. If he was truly The Reverse-Flash, he wouldn't hesitate to kill them all in order to cover his tracks. Just like he killed Mason Bridge, Iris remembered with a pang of pain.

"I'll go with Joe. The rest of you can stay here." Cisco volunteered. "Caitlin, will you cover for me with Dr. Wells?"

"You mean lie?" Caitlin said, aghast.

"Yeahhhhhhh." Cisco said, awkwardly.

"I need some air." Caitlin walked out of the lab.

"Caitlin!" Barry called after her. She didn't respond. 

"It doesn't look like Caitlin's with us." Joe acknowledged. 

"No, she's with us. I'll talk to her." Barry said. "What do you want me and Iris to do while you're gone?"

"Business as usual. Iris, tell everyone that I went to visit my uncle out in Keystone.

Iris nodded in agreement.

"I want to wish you good luck, but I'm almost scared of what you might find." Barry told Joe.

"Scared is a good thing. Scared keeps us alive." Joe told him.


	9. Eddie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Hannibal Bates frames Eddie for shooting two police officers, Barry and Iris must clear his name by catching Bates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you guys still like this story? I haven't seen any comment on the last few chapters. If you life it, please keep commenting. I love feedback!

Joe told Captain Sing he was going to Keystone for a few days. Caitlin told Dr. Wells that Cisco was helping his brother, Dante, for a few days. These lies helped them avoid suspicion as they left for Starling City. The first day they were gone, Iris didn't hear from her father and just hoped that no news was good news. Like Barry, Iris was afraid of what they might find about the car crash that killed Tess Morgan.

Even though the mystery of Harrison Wells and his intentions with Barry were at the forefront of everyone's minds, metahuman criminals in Central City didn't care. Iris interviewed a woman arrested for stealing from the bank she works at. The woman swears she didn't do it and she has no history of prior crimes. After looking through the crime archives, Iris noticed six people in the last 11 months with no priors who swore their innocence for crimes video evidence showed them committing. Some of them even had rock solid alibis.

Iris didn't think this was a coincidence. Even though surveillance video shows otherwise, Iris believed the woman. Iris worried that a meta might be responsible. The story could wait, a innocent woman was in danger of spending years locked in prison. Iris immediately called Barry, knowing that he would do all he could to investigate the possibility of a metahuman robber.

Barry's phone went to voicemail. Iris tried again. There was still no answer. Panic set in. Iris drove to S.T.A.R. Labs, fearing the worst. She rushed into the cortex, only to find Barry was not there. Caitlin and Dr. Wells were speaking to him over the phone.

"Hey, we located Bates. He was impersonating his grandma." Barry's voice said.

Iris breathed a sigh of relief. Barry was ok. Wells hadn't hurt him.

"Barry, do not let him touch you." Dr. Wells ordered.

"Or," Caitlin stood up. "Let him see you use your super speed." she hunched over the computer Dr. Wells was looking at.

"How am I supposed to catch him?" Barry asked.

"The old fashion way. Run like a normal person." Dr. Wells said.

"Alright." Barry said. He hung up the phone.

Caitlin turned and saw Iris standing in the entryway. "What are you doing here?" She looked nervous. She knew Barry wanted Iris to stay away from Dr. Wells.

Iris tried to collect her thoughts. She stuttered, trying to remember why she tried to call Barry in the first place. "Umm I-uh... I'm writing a piece about the bank robbery. It was committed by a woman with no priors who claims that she left work and spent the night at home with her husband. There is a video from the security camera of her stealing, but she maintains her innocence. I think maybe a metahuman could be mind controlling her or maybe even shape shifting into her."

"You're very clever Miss. West." Dr. Wells spun around in his wheelchair to greet Iris with a smile she found even creepier than his usual one. "The real culprit's name is Hannibal Bates. He has the ability to transform into any person he touches and this isn't the first time he's framed somebody. Barry already knows about Bates and went to interview him with Detective Thawne."

"Oh." Iris was surprised to hear that. Then she remembered what Wells and Caitlin were saying to Barry over the phone. "Why can't he use his speed?"

"If Bates touches Barry, he could acquire not only Barry's physical appearance, but his characteristics as well. The last thing we need is a shapeshifter with super speed." Dr. Wells explained.

"Ain't that the truth." Iris said in a voice too low for Wells to hear. He didn't know how right he was.

"Bates could also expose to the world that Barry Allen is The Flash! Putting Barry and everyone who knows him in danger." Caitlin said.

The phone rang. Dr. Wells pressed a button and asked, "Barry?"

"GUYS, TWO COPS WERE SHOT!" Barry yelled.

Iris clutched the side of the desk for support. She was shocked and afraid. Her mind was racing. Wells said that Eddie was with Barry. Did Eddie get shot? Is he still alive? Iris didn't get the chance to really say goodbye. She loved him.

"What?" Caitlin gasped.

"I called 911, there on the way. I lost Bates."

A lump grew in Iris's throat. She had to ask, but she was scared to know. "Was..." Iris swallowed, she tried to find her voice. "Was Eddie one of them?"

"Iris?" Somehow Barry sounded even more freaked out now.

"Was Eddie shot?" Iris repeated.

"No."

"He's ok?" Iris put a hand over her rapidly beating heart.

"I'm fine, Iris." Eddie's voice spoke.

"Eddie" was all Iris could say. The sting of their break up and lack of closure hurt like hell. She still felt guilty about what happened in the alternate timeline and how she'd been having feelings for Barry throughout their relationship.

"We gotta go." Barry said. "The ambulance is here."

* * *

 

Iris slept well that night knowing that Eddie was ok. Barry already knew about the metahuman who was framing people for crimes and would surely catch Bates soon. The Flash had never let Central City down before. All seemed to be well. So, the last thing Iris expected when she came into work the following morning was for Linda to approach her with a horrified look and headline that read: "CCPD Detective Shoots Two of Brothers in Blue!" With a picture of Eddie pointing a gun at two officers underneath.

Iris took the paper from Linda. "What is this?" At first, Iris thought it might be some kind of sick joke.

"You haven't heard?" Linda asked.

Iris shook her head.

Linda looked at her with pity. "Eddie Thawne shot two cops last night."

Iris laughed. This had to be a joke. "That's impossible." Iris knew what kind of man Eddie Thawne was. He would never hurt any innocent person, especially not a fellow officer.

Linda pointed to the TV. The news anchor was talking about the story before a dash cam video played. It showed two officers get out of the cop car as Eddie walked towards them.

"What do you want us to do Thawne?" One of the officers asked.

"Die." Eddie responded.

Eddie wiped out his gun and fired three shots. Both of the officers fell to the ground. Eddie walked away, unfazed.

Iris covered her mouth. She shook her head vigorously. "No. No, there must be some kind of mistake."

Linda put a hand on Iris's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"I have to go." Iris abruptly turned to leave.

Iris called Eddie at least ten times as she drove to the precinct. He never answered.

"Barry!" Iris literally ran into him as she made her way to Eddie's desk. "What is going on? Everyone at CCPN is saying that Eddie shot two cops. How is that even possible?"

Barry took her hand lead her to the back of the room.

"You don't think he did this, do you?" Iris asked.

"No. Of course not."

"I need to see him!" Iris tried to leave but Barry put his hands on her shoulders.

"You can't see him, alright, they're not gonna let you."

Iris was hyperventilating. Every part of her body felt numb. The room was spinning and it was making Iris nauseous. Ever since she watched Eddie shoot those officers, she couldn't think rationally. Barry rubbed her shoulders soothingly. Iris tried to steady herself. She looked in Barry's eyes and he brought her back to reality. Then it hit her....

"BATES!" Iris shrieked.

A few people looked up from what they were doing.

"Shhhh!" Barry put a finger over her lips to stop her from yelling again.

"He did this!" Iris was outraged. "Bates should be in jail, not Eddie!"

"It was Bates. He touched Eddie and stole his appearance."

"You have to tell Captain Sing that Bates is a metahuman and he's the one responsible!"

"I don't think Sing will believe me." Barry sighed.

"You have to try!"

"I'm going to find Bates and bring him in. Then he'll see what Bates is capable of and how he framed Eddie and all those other people."

"BUT WHAT IF YOU CAN'T FIND HIM?" It came harsher than she intended it, but Iris was frustrated and scared. "He could be anyone. How will you find him if he always has the perfect disguise?"

Iris knew Barry wasn't naive. He knew how difficult finding Bates would be. But he looked at her with determination and said, "Look, I'm going to do everything I can to help him."

Iris's knees were buckling. She leaned in to hug Barry and he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm so sorry." Barry whispered to her. "It's gonna be ok. I promise." He let go of Iris and walked away.

Despite having faith in Barry, Iris couldn't sit back and wait for him to clear Eddie's name. She was going to do whatever she could to prove his innocence. Iris sat down at her dad's empty desk and logged onto his CCPD account. She pulled out the dash cam footage of Eddie shooting the cops. It was painful to see. But Iris forced herself to watch it over and over again, until she found something that might help Eddie's case. Upon the 10th or 11th viewing (she'd lost count), Iris noticed that the video showed Eddie holding the gun with his left hand. Eddie is not left handed but Hannibal Bates must be!

Iris went up to Barry's crime lab to show him, but he wasn't there. She called him but he didn't pick up. Iris went to the house and there was no sign of him. She figured he must've gone to S.T.A.R. Labs to ask Caitlin and Wells for help. She hurried over there with the hope that this would be enough to get Eddie out of Iron Heights. Finally, Iris found Barry in the cortex with Caitlin.

"Hi, I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"Here I am." Barry said uncertainly.

He and Caitlin both looked uncomfortable, but Iris didn't have to time to care about that.

"I found proof that Eddie's innocent!"

"You did?" Barry's mouth hung open in shock.

Iris went to the computer to pull up the footage for Barry and Caitlin to watch. "I hacked into my dad's CCPD account and went through the footage of Eddie shooting those cops. Look!"

The video played.

Iris turned to see if Caitlin or Barry caught on. Barry was starring at the screen. He seemed uneasy. Caitlin was looking nervously at Barry.

"What's wrong with you?" Iris asked her.

Caitlin jumped. "Huh? Um, nothing." she said. "I didn't do anything."

"I don't know seems pretty... convincing to me." Barry said.

"Look again!" Iris said as she hit replay. She paused before Eddie pulled the trigger. "Eddie is not left handed! But maybe Bates is."

"Bates?" Barry seemed surprised at the mention of Bates' name.

"Yeah, Hannibal Bates." Iris was annoyed. How could he forget about Bates? She didn't have much time to be angry though, because a second later, Barry was convulsing from the electric shock of Dr. Wells' stun gun. Barry collapsed on the floor. Iris stood up and back away from Wells in fear. Iris met his eyes and decided that being afraid wasn't going to help her fight Wells if she needed to. "What did you do?" she demanded.

"You're observations about the shooter were spot on, Miss. West. I told you you're clever." Wells said, lowering the stun gun. "The shooter was indeed left handed. As is this man." Wells looked down at Barry's body. "Our Barry, is right handed."

Caitlin threw her head back and her arms up. "Oh I knew it!" She saw the look Dr. Wells gave her and quickly added, "Never mind."

"Then this is him!" Iris approached the body that looked like Barry Allen.

"It is indeed." Wells assured her.

"I need to take him in to the police. If they can see what he can do they'll have to let Eddie go."

"Iron Heights isn't equipped for dealing with metahuman prisoners." Wells said. "Perhaps, it would be best if we simply take Mr. Bates to the pipeline."

"I don't care where you lock him up, but first everyone needs to see that this man can change himself to look like other people. They need to see that it wasn't really Eddie who shot those cops. Or any of the other people they saw commit crimes. I'm taking him in."

"Of course." Wells conceded.

"I'll help." Caitlin offered.

They put Bates in the backseat of Iris's car and began driving to CCPD. Bates was still unconscious as they pulled up to a red light next to a construction site. All of a sudden, a young girl's screams were coming from the back seat. Bates transformed into a little girl. He (or she?) was banging on the window and screaming for the construction workers to let her out of the car. Iris and Caitlin tried to explain that they didn't kidnap the little girl, but the workers let Bates out. He ran away and soon lost in the crowds of people walking the streets of Central City.

Iris was heartbroken. She thought she could help Eddie, maybe make up for some of the damage she'd done, but Bates got away. Now, she also had to deal with the fact that Barry was missing. Caitlin and Iris searched CCPD but had no luck. Iris suggested they search the house next. Eventually, Caitlin found Barry laying in his closet with his mouth, hands, and feet duct taped.

"Barry!" Both girls yelled.

They sat beside him on the ground. Iris pulled the tape off his mouth.

"He's not moving!" Iris said, terrified. Had Bates killed Barry?

Caitlin put her fingers on his choroid artery. "He's alive, just unconscious."

"How do we wake him up?" Iris asked.

Caitlin slapped Barry across the face. His eyes shot open and he groaned in pain.

"For real?" Barry asked. "Why did you slap me?"

"Because you were uncurious." Caitlin got defensive.

"Smelling salts work just as well."

"Sorry, ok?"

Caitlin and Iris pulled the rest of the duct tape off Barry.

"Bates, he was here!" Barry told them.

"Yes, we know." Caitlin said.

They helped Barry to his feet.

"I'll let Dr. Wells know you're ok." Caitlin pulled out her phone and left the room.

Iris held Barry's hand and walked with him to the bed. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, yeah." Barry waved off the question. "How did you know Bates was here?"

"He impersonated you."

Barry's eyes filled with fear. "Did he-"

"No." Iris cut him off before Barry's thoughts got to a scary place. "He didn't commit any crimes. He just went to S.T.A.R. Labs with Caitlin. I went there too because I found something that might clear Eddie's name."

"What is it?"

"In the video of the shooting, Eddie used his left hand. But, Eddie is right handed. Hannibal Bates is left handed."

"That's great!" Barry smiled. Then, he saw Iris's crestfallen face. "Why aren't you happy?"

"Bates got away." Iris almost cried. "We had him, right there. But he got away. I don't know if we'll ever catch him again."

Barry put his arm around Iris. She silently cried into his chest, trying to calm down by listening to the drumming of his heartbeat. "I loved Eddie." she sobbed.

"I know." Barry said. Iris felt him sigh.

"I wasn't aware of my feelings for you. I never meant to hurt Eddie. I'm embarrassed that I could cheat on him. I'm an idiot for not telling him right away. I've been a terrible person and I just wanted to do something good for Eddie. I thought for once I could actually help him instead of hurting him."

"Hey, hey. You're not terrible." Barry told her. He stroked her hair. "Iris, you're a kind, generous, good person. I'm so amazed by your heart."

Iris was even more embarrassed now. "I'm sorry I'm telling you all this, Barry. I know you don't want to hear about my feelings for Eddie and please don't feel guilty about that kiss, It's all my fault."

"It's ok. I'm you're best friend. You can talk to me about anything." Barry said.

Iris looked up at him. He was smiling down at her. For a brief moment, everything seemed like it was going to be ok.

"Eddie is good guy." Barry admitted. "I tried to hate him because I was so jealous. But, I couldn't. He's a good person. I used my powers to break him out, but he wanted me to take him back. I'm not a kid anymore, I'm The Flash. And I promise you, I'm not going to rest until I get Eddie out of Iron Heights."

Iris wiped her eyes. She and Barry stood up, Iris grabbed the duct tape Bates had used on Barry. When she did, she was instantly in the airport. Iris looked around.

"Oh no, not again." she told herself.

It was the airport, but it wasn't. Iris knew it wasn't real. It was another one of those bizarre memories from the previous timeline. Iris didn't see anyone she recognized. She couldn't think of a reason why she'd go to the airport on that day Barry time traveled. Then, she saw the flight directory. It had today's date. Why could that be? Iris saw people all around her, none of whom she recognized. Nothing happened, and then the experience was over.

Iris was back in Barry's room. He was holding her hands. "Are you ok?"

"It happened again." Iris told him.

Barry looked confused.

"I had one of those experiences! Like the memory of being at the waterfront or when I saw Wells kill Cisco. But, this time I was at the airport. And it couldn't have been the day you traveled through time because I saw the date. It was today." Iris spoke so fast she wasn't sure if Barry was keeping up with her.

"Wait, what? What happened at the airport? Are you sure it was today?"

"Nothing happened. I was just standing in a terminal at the airport." Iris shrugged. "I saw today's date on the flight directory."

Caitlin came back into the room. "Bates stole Barry's cell phone and wallet. Dr. Wells just told me we got a ping on the GPS on Barry's cellphone. Bates is at the airport."

Barry and Iris exchanged mystified looks.

"What?" Caitlin asked.

"No time to explain. I'll be at the airport." Barry said. A gust of wind blew and Barry was long gone.

* * *

 

The DA, Captain Sing, and Barry were in Captain Sing's office, watching security camera footage of The Flash's fight with Bates. Iris was waiting hopefully in at her dad's desk. The office door opened and Barry smiled at her. She beamed back at him, knowing Eddie had been cleared.

"Iris." Eddie's voice startled her. She turned and saw him walking towards her.

"You're free!" she said with a shy smile, hoping he would talk to her.

"All the charges have been dropped."

"I-I'm glad. I knew you were innocent."

"I heard you ran out of CCPN saying it was impossible for me to shoot those cops and then discovered that the shooter in the video was left handed instead of right handed."

"Yeah."

Eddie smiled. "Thanks for believing in me."

"There was never any doubt! I knew you would never hurt anyone. I had to do everything I could to help you." She looked him up and down, taking a deep breath. "You're a good person, Eddie. That's why I fell in love with you. I'm sorry again for-"

"Iris, you don't need to keep apologizing."

"I do!" Iris insisted. "I'm so sorry."

Eddie took her hands. "It's ok."

For the first time, Iris felt able to forgive herself. She nodded at Eddie who smiled in return.

"Thank you for all the good memories, Iris." Eddie said. A tear glistened in his eye. "I'll never forget you either and I don't regret the time we shared."

Iris choked up hearing Eddie talk about the note she left him in the apartment they used to share.

"You deserve somebody who makes you happy too." Eddie told her.

They both looked over to Sing's office, where Barry was standing in the doorway.


	10. Byline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris realizes she may be a metahuman. Barry, Iris, Caitlin, and Cisco find the time vault.

"Well, Bates is in the pipeline now. He won't be able to frame any more innocent people." Barry told Iris as they left S.T.A.R. Labs. "And I gave Cecile the names of all the people he framed. She's going to have them all released."

"Good." Iris said. "I used to think Tony Woodward was the worst of the metas. But, Bates is tough competition." Now that justice was served, Iris's anger was fading. She was enjoying her newfound relief that came with forgiving herself for what happened with Eddie. As they walked out the door, Iris felt exhilarated by chill in the night air.

"Are you cold?" Barry asked her, already taking off his jacket to offer her.

"No." Iris said. "I'm just appreciating things. It's like- I don't know. Like, my pain has washed away and I'm free to move forward. Eddie and I finally talked about our relationship, what happened, and how we'll always be grateful for the time we shared. I got closure. I was able to forgive myself so now, my guilt, my baggage, it's all gone."

Barry smiled at her.

"What?" Iris giggled. "Does that sound really cheesy?"

Barry rubbed his neck. "I'm just happy for you." he said. Iris could tell he wanted to say more. She had a bad feeling that she knew what it was. Barry chewed on his lower lip and blinked a few times. Iris was glad he didn't bring up his feelings for her or ask what was next for them. Iris wasn't quite ready for that.

Iris changed the subject to something she was more comfortable with and curious about. "How did I know that Bates was at the airport?"

"I don't know." Barry shook his head. "But, I think the important thing is that you did."

"You would've found him anyway." Iris reminded Barry. "He stole your phone."

"But what if he hadn't? You would've been able to tell us he was at the airport so I could stop him from getting away."

"You're giving me too much credit."

Barry stopped walking. "Iris, I think maybe.... you have some kind of..." he moved his hands around and tried to find the right word. "Power?"

Iris laughed. "Come on, Barry. There is no such thing as psychics."

"You're not psychic. But, you have something that allows you to remember events that never happened because of a change in the timeline. I think that's also what allowed you to see where Bates was."

Iris considered this. "So, you think I'm like.. a metahuman?"

Iris felt her phone vibrate. It was a text from her dad: **Hey, we're back from Starling City. It was an informative trip. At the precinct now.**

 **Informative how?** Iris texted back.

You and Barry might want to come down here.

Iris felt her stomach churn. Did they find out Wells murdered Tess Morgan?

"My dad just texted me. He and Cisco are at CCPD." Iris told Barry.

Barry froze. "Did they say if they found anything?"

"I think they did."

Barry stared at the ground and shuffled his feet. He took a moment to process his thoughts. Iris took his hand to comfort him.

"Knowing is better than not knowing." she said.

Barry nodded in agreement. "Can I run us to CCPD?" he asked, obviously anxious to learn more about Joe and Cisco's trip.

"Let's go, Flash." Iris smiled.

Barry lifted her off the ground. He held her bridal style, with one hand under her knees and the other supporting her back. Before Iris could blink, she was in Barry's crime lab. Her dad, Cisco, and Caitlin were standing around an autopsy table. On it, was a decomposing body.

"Oh god..." Iris whispered. The sight was disturbing. Barry let her down gently. Iris hurried over to her dad and hugged him. "Is that," she pointed a finger at the body. "Tess Morgan?"

Joe shook his head.

"Then who is it?" Barry asked.

Cisco took a deep breath. "Harrison Wells."

Iris initially thought it was the beginning of a sentence, but Cisco didn't say anything else. "Harrison Wells what?" Iris prompted.

"This is the body of Harrison Wells." Joe said.

While everyone else looked at the remains in horror, Caitlin was staring, open mouthed, at Barry's computer. Iris saw that she was examining DNA results.

"This is impossible." Caitlin said.

Cisco approached her. "Caitlin, I ran the DNA test twice. It's a perfect match." he said.

"This body is the real Harrison Wells." Joe said.

"If this is Dr. Wells, who have we been working for this whole time?" Caitlin asked.

Iris looked to Barry, who somehow didn't look shocked. His eyes bore into the body and he spoke in a calm voice. "Dr. McGee said that after the accident, Wells became a completely different person." Barry looked up at Caitlin. "It's because he is a different person."

The insane reality of the situation hit Iris like a ton of bricks.

"We need to go to S.T.A.R. Labs." Cisco said, urgently.

"Why? We were just there." Caitlin told him.

"I need to check something. It's important." Cisco said. 

* * *

 

Cisco ran through the S.T.A.R. Labs corridors to get to the cortex. The others followed him. Iris and Caitlin were catching there breath in the entryway of the context, while Cisco immediately got on the computer and started rapidly clicking through what looked like blueprints.

Barry watched. Caitlin and Iris got closer so they could see too.

"What are you doing?" Caitlin asked.

He answered without looking away from the screen. "After the accelerator exploded, I built a 3D model of S.T.A.R. Labs so that I could pinpoint what exactly caused the malfunction."

"And you never ran this test?" Barry asked in disbelief.

"Of course I did. I just never had any reason to look at any area outside of the pipeline or the cortex. It's a big building. Lots of places for Wells to hide something."

The computer beeped and a red mark appeared on the screen. They all leaned in to see what it was. The red was highlighting a spot on a piece of the building model. It was a part of the facility Iris had never been in.

"What is that?" Barry asked.

"That," Cisco said, "Shouldn't be there."

"Are you sure?" Iris asked.

"I've come here everyday for years. I know every inch of this place. But, I had no idea that space existed."

"It looks like it's in the hallway just outside the cortex." Barry said. He moved away from the computer and looked down the hallway.

Cisco got up from the desk and began rifling through every draw in the cortex in search of something.

"Ah ha!" Cisco exclaimed as he pulled out something that looked like a triangular medal detector. He grabbed a pair of headphone too and put them on. Cisco, Iris, and Caitlin joined Barry in the hall. Cisco held the device up to the wall as he walked and listened for something. The others followed him.

The device started making beeping noise. "Picking up more activity around here." Cisco said. The beeps got louder and more frequent. Cisco stoped. "Tachyons." Iris didn't know what that meant, but it didn't sound good. Cisco backed away from the wall. "There." He pointed to the stop that caused the device to beep so erratically.

Barry put his hands on the wall. The wall looked normal, as it always had. Barry moved his hands around, searching for something. Whatever it was, he found it. The wall behind his right hand glowed blue. A section of wall opened up in front of him, revealing a hidden room.

Barry looked at his friends, their eyes all mirrored the astonishment in his. The room was pitch black. Barry walked in first. Once they had all entered, the wall suddenly resealed itself.

To lights came on. They were on either side of a cylindrical glass tube containing The Reverse-Flash suit.

"Oh my god." Caitlin said.

Everyone but Barry stepped closer to it.

Iris turned and saw Barry's eyes. She decided to hold his hand again. The two of them peered around the small room with strange white, textured walls. A white podium was the only other object in the room. Barry walked up to it and a hologram appeared.

It was a newspaper article from a publication called The Central City Citizen. In the center was a photo of The Flash. Above it, the headline read: FLASH MISSING VANISHES IN CRISIS

"Guys" Barry got Caitlin and Cisco's attention. They turned and gaped at the article with Barry and Iris.

"What the frack...." Cisco muttered.

Iris squeezed Barry's hand and he squeezed back.

Barry began reading from the article. "After an epic street battle with The Reverse-Flash, our city's very own scarlet speedster disappeared in an explosion of light."

"Barry, look at the date." Caitlin instructed.

Barry read aloud, "April 25 2024"

Iris felt her palms sweating. Barry shook his head. Cisco and Caitlin continued to stare.

"Guys," Barry said, "When I fought The Reverse-Flash at Christmas, he said that we'd be fighting for centuries."

"Wait, you can't really think that this is from..." Caitlin said and she struggled to get the next words out, "the future?"

Cisco spoke. "That would mean Dr. Wells, or whoever he is, is also-"

"From the future." Barry finished the sentence.

"How can that be?" Iris asked.

"I have to say, I'm really digging the brighter red suit and the white on the symbol is dope." Cisco said. "Wait a second, suppose we now change the color on your suit, will it be because we got the idea from this picture? That would mean we're living in a causal nexus. This is- Wow, this is so trippy like Marty and the Polaroid trippy."

Iris wasn't listening to Cisco's babbling. She had finished reading the article and was looking it over. She skimmed over the byline and then did a double take.

"by IRIS WEST-ALLEN  
Thursday April 25 2024"

Iris gasped. Her friends looked at her, curious. Iris pointed and croaked, "byline"

Barry read it aloud, "Iris west.......Allen?"

Iris couldn't take her eyes off the text. She never thought she'd hyphenate her name when she got married. Wait wait wait.. married? If she was Iris West-Allen that means that her and Barry get married?

"Mazel tov?" Cisco offered.

"Hebrew," a feminine computer voice said. Everyone jumped and looked around. Nobody else had entered the room. "Ancient language of the Jewish people."

The hologram article vanished.

"Uh ah! What the hell was that?" Cisco asked.

"Is-Is someone here?" Barry asked the room. "Hello?"

Another hologram appeared, this time it was a gigantic face. "Good evening, Barry Allen." it said.

Barry's eyebrow rose and his forehead wrinkled. He squeezed Iris's hand again. "Uuuhhhhh- Hu- Hi." Barry said to the face. "You know who I am?"

"Of course. Barry Allen, director of Central City Police, CSI division." the face answered.

"Director?" Barry and Iris said simultaneously.

"I guess you get a promotion." Cisco said.

The face spoke again, "Also known as The Flash. Founding member of-"

Barry held up a hand and cut off the face's words. "What are you?"

"I am GIDEON, an interactive artificial consciousness."

Cisco laughed. "AI! Sick!"

"You know Dr. Wells?" Barry asked 'GIDEON'

"Yes." GIDEON replied.

"Do you know who he really is?"

The eyes on the face blinked. "I don't understand the question."

Barry rubbed his temples. Iris put a hand on his back and massaged gently. She felt his tension.

"I- I Do- d I" Barry stuttered. "I mean what is he doing here? Wh- Why did he come here?"

The large face of GIDEON became a humanoid body. "To kill you." it said.

Barry went pale. A vain bulged in his forehead.

"It's ok." Iris whispered in ear.

"Wells is in the building." Cisco said.

"How do you know that?" Caitlin asked him.

"I put a tracker on his wheelchair. Which, if we're wrong about him and he is paralyzed, I'm going to Hell for that one."

Iris felt her heart pounding.

"He's in the cortex, ask questions fast!" Cisco yelled.

"Wh-Why did he kill Nora Allen?" Barry asked GIDEON.

"Because he was angry." GIDEON answered.

"About what?"

"That you escaped."

"He's on B level!" Cisco said. "He's coming this way."

"What does he want from me?" Barry demanded.

"For you to be The Flash." GIDEON said.

"Maybe that's why Wells let the particle accelerator explode? So that, you could become The Flash." Caitlin spoke as if she was still trying to make sense of what she was saying.

"For what reason?" Barry whispered.

"GUYS, we gotta go. He's almost here." Cisco panicked. Caitlin, Iris, and Barry moved to leave the secret room but Cisco said, "Wait a second. What if Hal over there tells Wells that we were in here?"

That was a good point.

"That would be bad." Caitlin said.

"If I can get into it's operating system maybe I can disable it's memory core?" Cisco said.

"Uh-uh GIDEON, can you show us your operating system?" Barry asked.

"Certainly." A blue and purple thing with a grey part in the center materialized beside the body of GIDEON.

"Haha, yeah, nope. That's not gonna happen." Cisco said.

"Guys, he's in the corridor." Caitlin warned.

"Maybe it won't tell if we asked it not to?" Iris suggested to Barry.

"Uh-GIDEON, could you just not tell him that we were here?" Barry asked.

"Of course." GIDEON assured them. "I will accept any command given to me by you."

"BARRY!" Cisco urged.

"Come on, we gotta get out of here." Caitlin said.

"Wa-wait, wait. Why would you accept my commands?" Barry asked.

"Because," GIDEON explained, "You created me."

A second later Iris, Barry, Caitlin, and Cisco were standing outside S.T.A.R. Labs. Barry was breathing heavily and Iris knew it had nothing to do with running them out.

Iris's head was spinning. Wells is definitely The Reverse-Flash. He's from the future, he killed Barry's mom because he was angry that Barry escaped, and he came here to kill Barry. There would be an epic battle between The Flash and The Reverse-Flash in the future and Iris would write an article about it. And, her name would be Iris West-Allen. West-Allen. Somehow, that was the piece that struck Iris the most. She and Barry were going to get married.

* * *

 

The byline was all Iris could think about the next day. Was that article actually real? At what point in the next 9 years would she and Barry get married? Would they be happy together? Well, that last question was a dumb one. She was always happy when she was with Barry. Would they have kids? Would he hyphenate his last name too?

"Iris," Barry's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Are you listening?"

"Yeah." Iris lied. She was in the cortex with Barry, Caitlin, and Cisco.

Cisco was tampering with a pair of glasses.

"This is going to make me see Cisco getting killed by Wells again?" Iris asked.

"Hope it's a good show." Cisco said.

Caitlin explained how she got the idea and how the glasses would basically let Iris lucid dream.

"It won't hurt her?" Barry asked for the millionth time.

"No. The amount of electricity required to trigger lucid dreaming is harmless." Caitlin said.

Barry pulled Iris aside.

"Iris, I appreciate that you want to help me get my dad out of prison and stop The Reverse-Flash, but you don't have to do this if you don't want to." Barry reminded her. "I don't want you to feel pressed."

"I don't." Iris said. "I want to know the truth about Wells and figure out whatever is going on with me too." Iris wasn't going to admit it, but the possibility of her being a metahuman hadn't crossed her mind since she got her dad's text. Learning that Wells was an imposter took the place of those thoughts. Then, learning that she would marry Barry and become Iris West-Allen took the places of those thoughts.

Barry pulled her in for a warm embrace. "I'll be right there the whole time."

"I trust you. I trust Caitlin and Cisco too. I'll be fine."

Barry nodded. "We'll do it in my lad tonight?"

"Sounds like a plan." Iris said.


	11. The Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the help of Caitlin and Cisco's glasses, Iris is able to enter the dream where Dr. Wells kills Cisco. But, Wells isn't the only one who makes a confession.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I took forever, but what everyone's been waiting for finally happens at the end of this chapter.

"You put the glasses on, fall asleep, and start dreaming. Not that hard." Caitlin said, matter of factly.

Iris was in Barry's lab with him, Cisco, Caitlin, and her dad. She picked up the special glasses Caitlin and Cisco had been working on all day and examined them.

"Are you nervous?" Barry said. He put a reassuring hand on Iris' shoulder. "You don't have to-"

"Barr, for the last time, I want to." Iris said. "I'm more nervous about what our next step is going to be after I see Wells, or whoever is pretending to be Wells, kill Cisco."

Cisco was nervously twisting his fingers. "Ok, so Iris has powers, we know that now. She's like a medium or a something. Somehow she's able to get these like, like.... these vibes. If we think whatever she see is real and not just a dream, does that mean that if I die in her dream, I die in real life? Is this Inception or Dream Scape?"

"You're gonna be fine, Cisco." Barry said.

Cisco looked unconvinced. Iris gave him a hug. "Nothing bad happened to you the last time I saw this. Whatever I'm seeing, it can't hurt you. I wouldn't do it if I thought it could." Iris said.

Joe handed Iris a glass of warm milk. "Here you go baby girl."

"I remember how you'd bring me warm milk when nightmares kept me up as a little girl. I don't think it was the milk that made me feel better, but just you bringing it to me and sitting with me till I fell asleep." Iris said.

Her dad's eyes were misty. He gave Iris a hug. "You're brave for doing this."

Iris took a sip. She laid down on the hospital bed Caitlin had brought up for her. Barry gave Iris' hand a quick squeeze, a silent way of saying 'Thank you. I believe in you.'

"I'm ready." Iris told them.

Caitlin grabbed the glasses and placed them on Iris' face. "The glasses are emitting a low level delta wave, which should help you fall asleep." Caitlin explained.

It didn't take long for Iris to nod off. Except, she didn't feel like she was sleep. She was standing in the cortex of S.T.A.R. Labs, alone. It looked as it always did but she knew from the strange sensation in her stomach and the somehow shiny look of everything, she wasn't really there. Iris blinked a few times, adjusting her eyes to the uncomfortable brightness of the dream. She felt lonely and fear set in.

"She's always looked so peaceful when she sleeps." Iris heard her dad's voice say.

"She's entering REM." Caitlin's voice said. "It's working!"

"Iris," Barry's voice was like a hug. She suddenly didn't feel so alone anymore. "Can you hear me? You're dreaming."

With renewed confidence, Iris walked around the cortex. She didn't see anything strange and she wondered why her dream brought her here. The last time she saw Wells confess, they were in a different room.

"Ok,"

Iris nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard Caitlin speak. This was not the Caitlin of the present speaking to the sleeping Iris in Barry's lab. Iris saw Caitlin and Cisco materialize in front of her at the main desk.

"I will take Dr. Wells to Jitters so you can do whatever it is you need to do." Caitlin was telling Cisco.

"Iris," it was Barry's voice again. "Can you hear me?" he sounded worried.

"I can hear you." Iris said. "I'm-I'm in S.T.A.R Labs. In the cortex. Cisco is here too and Caitlin just left."

"What's happening?" Barry asked.

"Um- Caitlin said she was going to take Wells to Jitters so that Cisco could do whatever he needs to do. Then, she left. Cisco is looking at something on the computer."

"Why did Cisco want Wells out of the lab?" Barry asked.

Iris walked up to stand beside Cisco. She watched the computer screen and saw him checking his work. "I think Cisco is trying to something figure out about that thing you used to trap the man in yellow. Cisco looks like he has an idea."

The Cisco that was standing next to Iris gave no acknowledgement of her presence. He continued working on the computer and the Cisco that was in the lab with sleeping Iris spoke. "When we were in that freaky room and looking at that newspaper article from the future, I got the gut feeling that Wells tampered with my work."

The Cisco standing next to Iris closed his windows and walked away from the computer. Iris followed him down the hall.

"Dream Cisco is going somewhere." Iris said.

They entered a large room, identical to the one Iris saw Wells confess and murder Cisco in. "Oh my god," Iris breathed.

"Are you ok?" Barry asked.

"Yeah, yeah we're just in this other room now. It's one I've never actually been in. But, I recognize it as the one I saw last time I had the vision of Wells and Cisco. I see the thing the man in yellow was trapped in. Cisco is running some kind of tests on the computer."

"You're in the bunker." Barry informed her.

Iris got closer to Cisco. "It looks like Cisco is running a test on the containment system." Her eyes narrowed as Iris read the test results. "This doesn't make sense." she said. "I don't know much about engineering, but the test results say that the super capacitors were all at 100% capacity."

"Then, there's absolutely no reason the man in yellow should've escaped." The Cisco in Barry's lab said.

Dream Cisco approached the machine. Then, the man in yellow appeared inside the blue force field.

Iris screamed.

"IRIS!" Barry and Joe both yelled.

"Wake her up, wake her up right now!" Barry was stuttering.

"NO!" Iris commanded. "It's ok. I'm ok. I just got scared. The man in yellow is inside the machine, he's being held back by a force field."

The man in yellowed flashed before here eyes. It looked like he was glitching somehow, like a TV or video game.

Dream Cisco looked baffled. "It was just a hologram." he mumbled.

"It was just a hologram." Iris repeated. "Her's not really here. It's an illusion, a trick."

Iris felt another presence in the room and spun around to see Wells.

"Wells is here." Iris said. Dream Cisco looked just as nervous as she felt.

"My name," Wells said in a calm voice. A shadow obstructed half his face, giving him an even creepier look than usual. "is Eobard Thawne."

Iris was taken aback at the name. Thawne?

"What's Wells doing?" Barry asked.

Iris looked up to the ceiling as if hoping to see Barry and the other as she told them what was happening. "He said his name is, Eobard Thawne."

"Thawne? Like, Eddie Thawne?" her dad's voice pondered.

Dream Cisco was angry. "You killed Nora Allen."

Wells didn't bother to deny the accusation. He walked further into the bunker and slammed the laptop Cisco ran his tests on shut. "It was ever my intention." Wells (or, Eobard Thawne?) said.

"Barry, he just admitted he killed you're mom." Iris chocked.

Iris felt a warm, soft hand cover her own. She knew Barry must be holding her hand in the lab as she dreams.

"He says, it wasn't his intention to kill her." Iris said. "It was you, Barry. He was trying to kill you."

Wells/Eobard Thawne held out his hand and vibrated it at high speed. He walked up to Cisco. Iris heard faint beeping sounds and then Caitlin's voice in her ear. "Iris, you're going to be ok. It's just a dream."

"His hand is vibrating!" Iris said.

"I have grown quite found of you, Cisco." Wells/Eobard Thawne said.

"He's going to kill Cisco."

The beeping got louder but Iris could only focus on the scene unfolding in front of her.

"In many ways, you've shown me what it's like to have a son." Wells/Eobard Thawne said. With a vindictive smile, he thrust his vibrating hand into Cisco's chest.

"CISCO!!!!!!"

Iris jolted up and ripped the glasses off her face. She was hyperventilating and sweating profusely.

"You're ok." Caitlin said. "It was just a dream, you're ok."

Iris tried to slow her breathing. Cisco was also breathing heavily, clutching his chest. Barry covered his mouth with a hand and stumbled into a seat, looking appalled.

Her dad first checked on Iris, wrapping her in a tight embrace. She gestured to Barry and Joe looked at him.

"Barry?" Joe said.

"My mom..... This was my fault." Barry hiccuped.

The look on his face broke Iris' heart. She stretched out her arm, hoping he would hold her hand again, make them both feel better.

Barry's ringtone broke the silence. He answered the phone and his face went even paler. "Dr. Wells....."

"A fire? Where?" Barry put the phone on speaker so everyone could hear.

"Bradford Tower high-rise." Wells answered.

Iris saw her dad's look of horror. "I know that building." he said. "That's where Captain Sing's fiance works."

"On my way." Barry said.

He was gone in a instant. Iris, Cisco, and Caitlin's hair all blew in the wind Barry created.

* * *

 

The Flash successfully rescued the Bradford Tower fire victims. Barry came home to the West house in emotional distress. Iris sat with him on the couch with him as he vented. She had her arm around him, rubbing his back. Joe watched and listened from the dinning room.

"It's so strange. I-I look at him now and I KNOW that he killed my mom and he sent my dad to jail but, sometimes he's just so kind in the moment I... actually like him." Barry said. He looked at Joe and asked, "But, you never did?"

"No."

"Well, at least now we know how to trap him." Barry smiled at Iris. "In your dream he confessed to everything. If we can just recreate those condition, he'll do it again."

Iris saw her dad rub his forehead. She knew that look. "Bear," he said. "Pulling down bad guys, taking confession. I'm the cop. I'm the one who's supposed to be doing this."

"Look, if we're going to get him to confess it has to be with someone that he truly trusts." Barry smacked his fist into his palm as he talked. "Someone that he'll genuinely let his guard down with."

Iris nodded in agreement. "In my dream, Wells said he thinks of Cisco as a son."

"Well then, we need to do a better job protecting him than I did protecting you." Joe said.

"I'm not sure what that means." Barry said.

"Barry, this is all because of me."

"No!" Barry and Iris said together.

"I never should've let Well take you from that hospital. None of this would've ever happened."

"Dad, you have to stop blaming yourself. You did the best you could based on what you knew at the time. None of this is your fault, you have to know that." Iris pleaded.

"If you hadn't let him take me, I would be dead! For sure." Barry reminded Joe.

"But even then, I knew something wasn't right. Everything in my gut was telling me not to trust him. But, I did. Because, I was so desperate to see you ok."

Tears formed in her dad's eyes and Iris grabbed a tissue to wipe away her own.

"Joe, this isn't your fault." Barry said, firmly. "It's not your fault." Barry stood up. "Look, every bad thing that has happened to us, all of it, it was HIM!"

Iris saw the vein in Barry's temple bulging in his anger.

"And now," Barry said. "He's gonna pay for it."

Joe clapped Barry on the shoulder. "He's going to pay."

Iris passed her dad a tissue and he took it upstairs with him. Barry plopped back down on the couch. Iris immediately took his hand, finding the same comfort in it as when she was in her dream. Iris stared at Barry. She saw anger, frustration, pain, and determination in his eyes. They softened when he noticed her gaze.

"What is it?" Barry asked.

Iris couldn't answer with words. She hugged Barry and leaned her body weight on him. He stroked a hand through her hair.

"Thank you for what you did, Iris." Barry whispered. "I know it was difficult. I won't ask you to do anything like that again."

"It's ok." she breathed.

Barry squeezed her harder. "I was so worried about you."

Iris nuzzled her head into Barry's neck. The position they were in made it awkward so Iris scooted closer to him. She was practically on his lap, but she didn't care. "I was worried about you! The look on your face when I woke up. Then, running off to a fire. I'm always scared when you're out there but tonight, I was terrified." Iris shook in his arms.

"Hey, hey. Iris, I'm right here. I'm ok." Barry pulled her in closer and now Iris really was on his lap. "I'll always come back to you."

Iris took her head out of his neck and looked Barry in the eye. "You promise?"

"I promise." 

Iris put her hand on Barry's face. He closed his eyes and hummed at her touch.

"You're my best friend, Barry. You have been my whole life." Iris said. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Iris' eyes flicked from Barry's eyes to his lips. They were so pink and they looked so soft. He had a bit of stubble growing above his lips, Iris wondered what the texture would feel like against her mouth.

"Iris" Barry gasped.

Like a magnet, Iris felt her lips being pulled to his. The second they made contact Iris felt electricity pulse through her body. Barry's lips sucked on her bottom lip, causing her to emit a whine. Barry took advantage of her open mouth and slipped his tongue inside. Iris smiled into the kiss. This was really happening. It wasn't a dream or a memory of a day that didn't exist anymore, it was real. Iris rolled her hips against Barry's and his grip on her waist tightened. 

"I love you." Iris whispered.

Barry smiled the purest smile. One she'd only seen once before, at the waterfront.


	12. Electricity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Iris talk. 
> 
> Emotional hurt/comfort chapter

Barry smiled the purest smile. One she'd only seen once before, at the waterfront. "That's all I've ever wanted to hear you say."

Iris smiled too. She leaned in for another kiss. And then another, and another, unti Barry suddenly pushed her away. 

"You're dad is upstairs." Barry reminded her.

Iris was disappointed. She wanted to continue but didn't want to risk the embarrassment of her dad walking on her and Barry. Iris moved off Barry's lap and saw the disappointment on his face. She held his hand and looked deep into his eyes.

"Are you nervous about the trap?" Iris asked.

"No." Barry said. He started rubbing his neck. 

Iris knew he was worried. "Bear, please talk to me about what you're feeling."

"I'm- I'm scared that once we get Wells confess and he goes to prison for what he did, I won't be able to be The Flash anymore."

"Why do you think that?"

Barry hunched over and put his face in his hands. "I've told you, I'm not the hero. I need Wells, Caitlin, and Cisco to help me. I would be dead if I didn't have them talking me through it. And as great as Cisco and Caitlin are, it was always Wells who came up with the best ideas. He taught me how to use my powers, how to do more than just run fast. He taught me to do things I would have never even thought to do. He's the reason I was able to save so many people."

"Barry, look at me." Iris cupped Barry's face. She looked into his tear filled eyes and spoke her truth. "You are The Flash. You are the one who runs into burning building and gets everyone out. You are the one who stops evil metahumans from hurting people. You are the one risking your life. You are the one who makes the ultimate call when it comes to what you should do. You are the one who was able to master all the things Wells taught you to do."

Barry nodded along to her words, but didn't look convinced.

"Barry, you are the hero. YOU!"

"I won't as good a hero without him." Barry sighed.

"What about what you said to me after I figured out you're The Flash? You said that every time you falter or make a mistake, the thought of me is what picks you up and keeps you going." Iris remember his exact words because she's been thinking about ever since he told her. She felt honored that Barry was thinking about her when he needed inspiration. "Was that true?" She asked.

"Of course. I was thinking about you the first time I got in a fight. Clyde Mardon made this tornado and it was heading for the city. I didn't want anyone to get hurt, but especially not you. I stopped him because I couldn't risk you getting hurt. You're the reason I was able to stop Mardon."

"And that was before I even knew about your powers." Iris reminded him. "Now, I know. I will be there for you every time need help. Instead of just thinking about me, you'll be able to talk to me. I will keep reminding you that what an amazing hero you are. I will be part of your team every single day." She said, firmly. "It's The Flash that I believe in, not Harrison Wells."

Iris pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. She was still holding his hand.

Barry put his arm around Iris and held her tight. She felt warm and safe being so close to him. 

When they heard her dad's footsteps on the stairs, Barry took his arm away. He let go of Iris's hand and the moment he did, Iris felt an electric shock. A jolt of electricity. The only other time she felt something like that was when Barry was in a coma after the accident. 

It was late, she'd had a rough day and wanted to talk to Barry more than anything. Eddie had asked her out that afternoon and she wasn't confident that saying yes was the right choice. She wanted her best friend to wake up and stop her from doing stupid things. When she let go of his hand, she felt the electricity.


	13. Trap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Flash tries to recreate what Iris saw and get Wells to confess to the murder of Nora Allen. The trap does not go as planned.

Iris was angry that her dad insisted she stay at the house. She wanted to be at S.T.A.R. Labs to support Barry and help get Wells to confess in any way she could. She planned on sneaking out of the house and going to S.T.A.R. Labs no matter what her dad said, but Barry also asked her to stay home. He reminded her of their couch conversation the night before and how he'd need her after Wells went to prison, so they couldn't risk anything happening to her now.

Joe asked Eddie to stay with Iris at the house. Like a babysitter, she lamented. She paced back and forth in the living room, biting her nails, and hoping beyond hope that everyone would be ok. She felt like a coward for being the safe at home.

Eddie brought her a cup of hot tea. "I thought it might help you relax."

"Thank you." Iris said.

Eddie guided Iris to couch to sit. She sipped her tea. Her leg shook uncontrollably as she sat. She hadn't noticed until Eddie put a hand on her tigh to stop it's movement.

"Sorry." Iris breathed.

"It's ok." Eddie said. "I'm nervous too."

"I guess this is why my dad didn't want me to know about Barry. To keep me safe and to keep me from worrying."

"He loves you so much." Eddie said.

"Who?" Iris looked at Eddie. "My dad or..... Barry?"

Eddie smirked. "Both."

Iris blushed. She felt guilty for thinking about her love triangle when meanwhile, at S.T.A.R. Labs, Wells was revealing himself to Cisco. Iris hoped everything was going to plan. She knew Barry was capable of fighting The Reverse-Flash if he needed to, but she hoped it wouldn't come to that.

What if Wells killed Cisco like in the dream? What if he killed Barry and her dad too? What if he didn't confess? What if he did confess but then he got away again?

Iris couldn't handle the anxiety of not knowing anymore. She had powers. She didn't know how to use them yet, but she was willing to try anything to figure it out. When she saw Wells confess and kill Cisco for the first time, it was right after she touched Cisco. When she saw that Hannibal Bates was at the airport, it was after she touched the tape he used to restrain Barry. 

Iris hypothesized that touching people or the things they've touched might be what activates her powers. 

"I'm going to lay down." Iris told Eddie. 

She ran upstairs and into Barry's room. She looked around for an object that he loved, something that had a strong emotional connection to him. 

An item of clothing? No. 

His microscope? No. 

Then, Iris she thought of the perfect item. She took the photo of her and Barry off his nightstand and held it. She looked at their smiling faces, feeling scared she might never see that smile again. Iris laid her hand over Barry in the picture. She closed her eyes and tried to empty her mind of all thoughts besides Barry. It was easier than she expected. 

Iris opened her eyes and saw that she was in S.T.A.R. Labs. Wells was approaching Cisco, hand raised just as it had been before Wells plunged it into Cisco's chest. Iris heard her heartbeat pounding. She feared for Cisco's life. 

"You're not gonna get away with this." Cisco said. He was standing where the hologram of The Reverse-Flash was in Iris's dream. He was holding something too.

Wells smiled. "I'm not gonna get away with it?"

Cisco pushed a button on the device he was holding. A red forcefield appeared, separating Cisco from Wells. 

Wells put his hand down. He started laughing. It was dry and humorless, causing chills to run down Iris's spine.

"Oh ho ho, you're smart." Wells laughed. "You're smart, Cisco."

A demented smile on his face, Wells stepped forward, the forcefield failing to stop him. 

Wells spoke again, serious now, "But you're not that smart."

He raised his hand again and Iris screamed. Suddenly, her dad jumped out from behind the trap and fired his gun at Wells. Barry jumped out seconds later, moving at superspeed at catch the bullets

But he wasn't fast enough.

A bullet hit Wells and he fell to the ground. 

"He didn't confess." Barry cried.

Caitlin enter the room. "Cisco, are you ok?" She asked as she rushed to him.

"Yeah. I'm never ever going to sleep ever again. But, yeah, I'm ok." Cisco said.

Caitlin knelt down over Wells and felt for a pulse. 

"He's dead." She informed them.

Barry looked distraught. "He didn't confess. Joe, this was it. My dad's going to be in prison forever."

Iris forgot that she wasn't actually in S.T.A.R. Labs. She walked to Barry and went to hug him. When she did, her body went right through him, as if she were a ghost. 

Iris looked up at her dad, hoping he would do something to comfort Barry since she couldn't. 

"Barry, I'm sorry." He said.

Cisco started to speak, but he was interrupted by the bizarre morphing of Wells' corpse into that of a man with a deformed face. 

"What the hell?" Cisco said, voicing the confusion of everyone watching.

"I told you this before," The disembodied voice of Wells filled the room. Everyone looked around but there was no sign of Wells. "I am always one step ahead, Flash. Allow me to reintroduce to you, Mr. Hannibal Bates and his incredible ability to transform into any person he touches. I knew that ability would come in handy. I did not expect it to come in handy this soon."

Barry's face contorted with rage. "YOU USED HIM!" Barry shouted. "LIKE YOU USED ALL OF US!"

"Well, he served a purpose. Didn't take much convincing. Just the simple promise of his freedom." Wells said.

"YOU RUINED MY LIFE! ALL OF OUR LIVES!!!!" 

"We stood by you, after everything that happened." Caitlin said, voice shaking. 

"I can see how this must be difficult for you to understand but trust me, you're lives are so much better because of what I have done for you." Wells said.

Iris looked to her dad. He who might have appeared calm to someone who didn't know him, but Iris could see the hatred and anger behind his eyes. "You don't have to hide anymore." He said. "We know you're not Harrison Wells, just tell us who you are."

"A confession will get you nowhere. You've seen who I am. You know what I can do." Wells taunted.

Barry spoke again. "You wanna kill me, go ahead. I'm not gonna fight you. JUST TELL THE POLICE WHAT YOU DID! GET MY DAD OUT OF PRISON!"

"I don't wanna kill you, Barry. I need you." Wells said. "I also did not anticipate, as difficult as the last 15 years have been for me, how much I would come to love working with you. With all of you. And yet, that does not change what needs to happened."

"THEN FACE ME NOW!!!!!!!!!"

Wells laughed his awful laugh. "Oh, we will face each other again. I promise you. Soon. Very, very soon."

Cisco's phone buzzed. "He's in the time vault!" 

Iris saw a streak of red. 

"BARRY!" Her dad called after Barry, but he was gone.

Iris let go of the picture. She opened her eyes and her surroundings changed into Barry's bedroom.

Iris ran to Eddie as fast as she could, screaming his name.

"What, Iris? Are you ok?" Eddie asked. His gun was drawn.

Iris gasped for breath. She didn't know how to explain the situation to him.

"Did Wells hurt you? Is he here?" Eddie asked, pushing Iris behind him.

"He's coming." Iris said. "The trap didn't work."

"Stay behind me." Eddie order. 

Iris followed Eddie, holding onto his shoulder as he walked cautiously through the house, finger on the trigger of his gun.

"He's not here." Eddie said once they'd cleared the house.

There was a loud slam of the front door and a gust of wind. The Reverse-Flash standing in front of them. Eddie shot at him but Wells caught every bullet. He knocked Eddie to the ground. Iris screamed.

Eddie tried to shoot The Reverse-Flash again, but his magazine was empty.

"Nice to see you again, Detective." Wells said. He lunged at Eddie.

'STOP! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Iris pleaded.

"Iris, no." Eddie said.

Wells shoved Eddie to the ground and ran up to Iris.

"The trap didn't work tonight, but you're still not going to get away with this." Iris said. She looked into his terrifying, glowing red eyes. "You don't have to hurt anyone else."

Wells raised a vibrating hand. Iris closed her eyes and braced for the worst. She thought of Barry.

Iris felt another strong wind and it knocked her to her knees. She was shaking and gasping for air.

"Hey, Iris. It's ok. It's me."

Iris opened her eyes and Barry was there. Wells and Eddie weren't. Barry pulled off his mask. 

"He took him!" Iris cried. "The man in the yellow, he took Eddie!"

"I promise I will find him, ok?"

"What is happening?"

"Listen to me. Stay here, Iris . You're dad will be here soon. I swear to you I will bring Eddie back, alright?"

Barry turned to leave.

"Wait, stop." Iris said. She reached for him, but Barry sped off just as her fingers brushed against his gloves. Iris felt that spark of electricity again.


	14. Not Available in That Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris and Barry argue over how to handle the search for Eddie. Iris isn't sure if she made the right choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another very angsty chapter.

Iris waited up for Barry all night. She ignored her dad's desperate attempts to convince her to sleep. She sat on the couch wide awake, but wishing she was asleep and this was all a bad dream. Each second that past felt like an hour as Iris agonized over what The Reverse-Flash could have done to Eddie. 

Joe eventually accepted defeat and sat down beside Iris on the couch. He tried to put his arm around her, but she pulled away. Iris saw the hurt in her dad's eyes, but her anger and anxiety were too strong for her to care.

"I didn't need a babysitter." Iris spat. "Eddie was here because you asked him to watch me. If you hadn't he wouldn't have gotten involved in this. He would be safe at home right now."

"You're right." Her dad's voice cracked as he spoke. "I'm so sorry. I've tried so hard to protect you, but every time I just end up causing you more pain."

Iris felt guilty for her misdirected anger at her dad when she heard him crying. She wanted to cry too, but it seemed there were no tears left in her. 

"I should've done a better job as a father." Joe whimpered.

"Why is he doing this to us?" Iris asked.

"I don't know." Joe sighed. He wiped away tears. "I don't know."

This time, Iris leaned into her dad. He put his arm around her and she felt safe for the first time all night.

"Do you think Barry's ok?" Iris asked. She was worried why he hadn't returned to the house, with or without Eddie. Had The Reverse-Flash taken him captive too? 

Before Joe could answer, the front door opened and Barry came in. Iris jumped up. She her lungs deflate like a ballon when she saw that Barry was alone. He looked defeated.

Iris opened her mouth to speak. But she couldn't dare voice the possibility that had been haunting her all night.

Barry shook his head. He didn't meet Iris or Joe's eyes. "I lost him."

Iris hid her face in her hands. She felt light headed. "No. No no no no no." She whispered.

"I will be back out there looking tomorrow. I won't rest until I find him." Barry said.

"We have to tell the police." Iris said.

Barry and Joe exchanged bewildered looks. 

"Iris, you know we can't do that." Her dad said.

"WHY NOT?" Iris shouted. "Are you worried they won't believe us? They know that metahumans exist. They know about The Flash. We have to let them know that Eddie was kidnapped by another speedster."

"It's not about them believing us." Barry said.

"They need to know the truth. We need everyone looking for Eddie." Iris said.

"The cops are no match for The Reverse-Flash, Iris. They would just get hurt."

"He's right." Joe pointed out. "We can't catch up to him, we can't shoot him, we're defenseless against him."

"So what are we going to do to get Eddie back?" Iris demanded.

"I will do everything I can to find him. I promise." Barry said.

Iris stared down Barry, forcing his eyes to meet her gaze. "What if that's not enough?"

There was silence. Barry looked at the floor. Iris collapsed on the couch again. She held her pounding head.

"I'm going to try and get some rest." Joe said. He gave Iris's hand a squeeze before heading upstairs.

There was so much tension in the room, Iris felt she could reach out and touch it.

"I'm sorry, Iris." Barry said. "It's because of me that you and Eddie were in danger and it's because of me that Eddie is missing. I'm the one Wells wants." Barry sat down next to Iris. He cupped her face with his hands. "Trust me, I will find Eddie and I will stop The Reverse-Flash once and for all. Everything is going to be ok."

He sounded sure of himself. Iris wished she could believe that everything would be ok. She just stared at Barry. His eyes closed and his lips moved towards hers.

"Barry." Iris put up a hand stop him from kissing her. 

Barry immediately retreated. "I'm sorry." He said. "I'm- I- shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry. I just-"

"Eddie is missing."

"I know. I know. I'm sorry."

Iris shook. "Do you think Wells is going to kill Eddie?"

"No! He's not. I'm gonna get Eddie back, I swear."

Iris gathered her thoughts. She knew what she had to say. "Barry, I have spent a lot of time over the past few months thinking about you. About us. I want to be with you, but......." Iris choked back a sob. Barry wasn't looking at her anymore. Iris took a deep breath and continued. "With Eddie missing, I just- He went missing because he was trying to protect me. That's all that I can think about right now."

Barry looked upset. A single tear ran down his face. But, he nodded in understanding.

"I'm not available in that way." Iris said. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you the other day. I have feelings for you, Barry. But, I still have feelings for Eddie too. Being with you right now, it feels wrong. I can't just move on while someone that I loved is missing."

"I'm gonna bring him back." Barry promised.

For a moment, neither Barry or Iris spoke. She was unsure of what to say. The anguish of the night and her lack of sleep was taking a toll on her. 

Iris saw Barry swallow. He looked into her eyes. "And after that?" he whispered.

Iris blinked. She wasn't sure. Thinking about the future was impossible when the weight of the present was so heavy. 

"I don't know." She told Barry.


	15. Grodd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something weird happens to Barry when he confronts a thief. Iris might have the answer to finding Wells and Eddie on her blog. But, that's not going to save them from Grodd.

Iris went to S.T.A.R. Labs early the next morning and found only Cisco in the cortex.

"Where's Barry?" She asked.

"Stopping a robbery at the Central City gold reserve." Cisco replied. He was fiddling around with several small cameras.

"Shouldn't the police be the ones catching robbers? That's there job. We're the only ones who can find Eddie and catch The Reverse-Flash!" Iris snapped.

"Chill, Barry will be back here in a flash." Cisco smiled in amusement at his own joke.

Iris stared him down, making it clear that this is not the time for jokes.

Cisco wheeled his chair over to the computer and brought up a map of the city. "I've been scanning the airwaves for traces of the speedforce, but the only thing it's registered so far is Barry's speedforce connection."

Iris got an idea. "What if Wells is outside Central City? I mean, he can run thousands of miles an hour so it wouldn't be hard for him to travel here, ruin our lives, and then run back to his secret hideout."

Cisco's eyes widen. He wagged his finger at her in excellent. "That's a good point." He started typing on the computer and soon, the map expanded across the state. "I'll extend the scanners radar past city limits. I'll also see if I can hack into security cams in neighboring areas in case our submer _feind_ decides to show his ugly face."

"I'll post on my blog about the possibility of another speedster. It has readers from all over the country, I'll let them all know to be on the lookout and send me any info they might have. I got a lot of ridiculous comments when I started writing about The Flash, but there were some helpful one. I'll be able to weed out the wackjobs see if there's anyone who's actually seen The Reverse-Flash."

Cisco held up his hand and Iris high-fived him. He smiled, obviously grateful that Iris's mood was improving. "He can run, but he can't hide." Cisco said.

"AAAAAHHHH!"

Iris and Cisco both jump. He grabbed the microphone and started talking to Barry. "Barry, what's going on? Are you ok?"

Barry didn't answer. His heavy breathing and groaning traveled over the com. Iris was scared. The last thing she needed now for someone else she loved to be hurt by an evil metahuman. 

"Barry, tell us what's happening. Please!" Iris cried. "We'll do everything we can to help you."

Barry's breathing slowed down.

Iris closed her eyes and silently prayed it was because he was recovering. "Barry..." she whimpered.

"I'm ok."

The sound of Barry's voice caused her eyes to shoot open. "You're ok?" She needed conformation, not daring to believe it.

"Yeah. I'm coming back."

Iris let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding in. Cisco looked relieved as well. A few seconds later, Barry was standing in between them. He looked shaken and his respiration rate was still faster than normal. Iris clutched his hand and rubbed it with her thumb.

"I'm ok." Barry repeated.

"What happened out there?" Cisco asked.

Barry scratched his head. "I don't know. I got to the gold reserve, saw the thief, confronted him, then all of a sudden I heard this ringing in my ears and I started having visions of....." Barry trailed off. He looked to be deep in thought. "Surgical equipment." He finished.

"That's so weird." Iris said. 

"I was afraid. Like, more afraid than I've ever been. I was paralyzed with fear." Barry whispered.

"That's ok. You were attacked and hallucinating. Anyone would be scared." Iris reassured him.

"No, it was like that. It came on too suddenly. Whatever caused me to hallucinate also altered my emotions."

Cisco picked up the phone. "Caitlin needs to check you out."

"He's right." Iris agreed. "Come on, maybe you should sit down and rest." She walked hand in hand with Barry over to the medical bay. "I'm so glad you're ok." She told him as he sat down. Her thumb was still messaging his hand. Barry smiled smiled. Iris pushed a few runaway strands of hair off of his face.

Barry ran his hands through his hair. "Do I have cowl hair?"

Iris snorted. "You look great."

Caitlin walked in to the cortex.

Cisco put the phone down. "I was just trying to call you. Barry needs your help."

Immediately, Caitlin went to him and began a physical examination. As she worked, Barry recounted the story.

The exam ending with Caitlin using her pen light to check Barry's extra ocular muscles. "You're eye movement is normal. There are no signs of neurological damage."

"Now we just have to figure out what caused him to hallucinate." Iris sighed.

"You think the thief might've been a metahuman who put the whammy on you, or something?" Cisco suggested.

Barry shook his head. "I don't know. When Rainbow Raider got in my head, all I felt was anger. But this was....not that. This was overwhelming fear."

Cisco pulled up security camera footage Barry and the thief outside the reserve. "It looks like when you went down the thief got disoriented too." He observed.

"Maybe we both got whammied?"

"The only good news is that the the whammying stopped the thief from making off with the gold." Cisco said.

"Then maybe," Iris began. "We should forget about this thief for now and focus on finding Eddie." She saw Barry's face fall.

Barry stood up. "That's not a bad idea. I'll go out again and for look for him now."

 

 

 

Barry returned to the cortex hours later. One look told Iris that he'd found nothing. Apparently, he only came back because Joe called and told him that Captain Sing suspected the gold thief to target a shipment of gold that was moving across the city in an ice cream truck.

Iris went back to CCPN to follow up on any leads she posted from readers of her blog. She knew that bad guys weren't going to stop doing bad things just because Eddie was missing, but she couldn't help her frustration. Iris sighed, feeling angry wasn't going to help Eddie. She buried herself in blog comments, which so far, gave no information about the whereabouts of The Reverse-Flash. Wells was good, he knew how to hide. 

There was however, a lot of speculation of sighting of a strange animals looking in Central City's sewers. That reminded Iris of a conspiracy theory post she'd seen months ago about the possibility of the military experimenting on animals in sewers. It also claimed that Dr. Wells and his team at S.T.A.R. Labs were also involved. At the time, Iris shrugged the theory off as nonsense, but now, she supposed it could have a connection to these new reports.

Iris went back to S.T.A.R. Labs. As she walked down the hall to the cortex, she could hear her dad, Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin talking. 

"I do not like the fact that Wells rescued Grodd." Joe was saying. "And I don't think it's a coincidence that this gorilla shows up at the very same time we're looking for Wells."

"Gordd and Wells always did have a special bond." Caitlin said.

"It wouldn't surprise me if Wells was using Grodd to distract us. If we find Grodd, we find Wells. If we find Wells-"

"We find Eddie." Iris cut off her dad as she walked into the room. "And I'm gonna help."

"Know anything about gorilla?" Caitlin asked.

Iris smirked. "I just might."

She sat down at the computer and everyone gathered around her. "There have been reports of some sort of animal down in the sewers." Iris informed them.

"Ummm. Alligators." Cisco whined.

Caitlin and Joe shot him incredulous looks. 

"Chuds, R.O.U.Ses? Am I the only one who watches movies around here?"

Iris showed the team and article a coworker at CCPN had written. "A few months ago, two sewer workers went missing. Search party reported hearing strange animal noises down the tunnels." She explained.

"Where exactly did they go missing?" Barry asked.

"Uh," Iris skimmed the article. "5th avenue and 10th street."

"There's an access point to the sewers about two blocks East of that intersection." Cisco said.

Barry nodded. "I'll start there."

"Not alone." Joe said. "I'm coming too."

Cisco laughed. "Wading through miles of rats, roaches, and human excrement? Count me out." Everyone looked at him until he conceded. "Count me in."

"It's your monkey." Joe reminded him. 

 

 

Iris and Caitlin stayed behind in the lab while the guys went into the sewer. Iris went back to looking through her blog for any possible leads on Wells' location or Grodd's.

Iris yawned.

"Are you tired?" Caitlin asked.

"It's hard to sleep when your ex-boyfriend gets kidnapped by a lunatic from the future while trying to protect you from said lunatic." Iris retorted.

Caitlin went pale and looked away from Iris. 

"I'm sorry. I'm just short tempered because I'm worried about Eddie and I feel bad about what happened."

"I understand." Caitlin said. "But there's nothing you could've done to stop Wells from taking Eddie. It wasn't your fault."

"I just feel like I screwed up Eddie's life by being part of it. He would've been so much better off if he'd never met me."

Caitlin put a hand on Iris's shoulder to comfort her. "That's not true."

"If Barry would've told me how he felt, I wouldn't have been dating Eddie and then Eddie wouldn't have been involved in this metahuman stuff. I appreciate that you want to make me feel better, Caitlin. But, the truth this, this is my fault." Iris got emotional talking about it. She was too upset to be embarrassed about crying, so she just let it all out, not even bothering to wipe the tears as they streamed down. "The pain of not knowing what's happened to someone you care about-"

"It's soul crushing." Caitlin muttered, finishing the sentence for Iris.

Iris looked Caitlin dead in the eyes. "You know that because it happened to you. You're fiance didn't die when the particle accelerator exploded, did he?"

"He's alive." Caitlin said.

"And he's the burning man."

"F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M." Caitlin correct. "He was merged with another man, Martin Stein, in the explosion. I thought Ronnie was dead, but, turns out he just.... caught on fire."

"But, he's ok?" Iris asked.

"Yeah, he is."

"Good. I'm glad." Iris said earnestly. 

The girls went back to looking at their computers. But, Iris couldn't focus on the blog comments. She kept reading the same sentance over and over, processing none of it. 

Iris couldn't hold it in. She had to tell someone what was secretly causing her so much anguish."You know how I was able to see what happened to Cisco on the day that Barry erased from the timeline? Or, how I was able to find out Hannibal Bates was at the airport when I touch the duct tape he used on Barry?"

Caitlin nodded apprehensively.

"Well, I've been trying to find Eddie like that. I went to his place and tried as hard as I could to see where Wells is keeping him, or even just a sign that Eddie was still alive. But, I can't do it. I can't see anything." Iris choked.

Caitlin didn't say anything.

Iris didn't meet her eyes. "It's like I have no connection to him at all."

"You're powers are new and we don't understand them yet. You don't know how to use them." Caitlin lectured.

"But, I can see Barry."

Caitlin lowered her eyebrows.

"The night you tried to trap Wells, I was worried about how things were going. So, I went up to Barry's room and I was able to see him. I saw him in the bucker, hiding with my dad while Cisco tried to get Wells to confess." Iris said. "It was so easy to see Barry." She closed her eyes and pictured Barry in her mind. "I can see him right now."

Caitlin's grip on Iris's shoulder tightened. "You- You can?" She stutter."

Iris felt as though she was standing in the sewer right beside Barry. It was dark, the flashlights created narrow pathways of light. The boys' trudged through the dingy water. The echo of dripping pipes made the environment all the more creepy.

"He's in the sewer now. My dad is in front of him, leading the way. Cisco is behind Barry." Iris said. She scrunched up her face when a putrid smell hit her. "Uck, it's really nasty down there."

The girls laughed.

Iris felt Caitlin relax. "I bet Cisco is having a great time."

"Hey, hey guys, look at this." Cisco said. He pointed at graffiti on the sewer wall.

Grodd's name was written on it in several places, along with messy, rambling paragraphs that stretched up to the ceiling. There were also some stick figure drawings that reminded Iris of cave paintings.

"Looks like we're in the right place." Barry said.

"They found writing on the walls that was done by Grodd." Iris reported to Caitlin.

The boys continued their journey through the sewer. The graffiti became less prolific but more coherent. 

"He's evolving, getting smarter." Barry said.

"They definitely found where Grodd was. But, I don't know if he's still there." Iris said.

A terrifying noise came from another tunnel in the sewer. Instinctively, Iris reached for Barry's hand. She couldn't touch it. That's when she remembered that this was vision and that she was not actually in the sewer with them. Joe and Cisco were talking, but Iris blocked them out and listened only for sounds of Grodd.

Everyone pointed their flashlights down the tunnel, and a giant shadow appeared. 

"Grodd is here." Iris gulped.

Iris felt Caitlin shaking her, but Iris was overcome by fear and hallucinations. She 'fell' to the ground, screaming.

Caitlin smacked Iris across the face.

Iris felt her surroundings instantly switch from the cold, wet sewer ground to the cortex. She clutched the arm rests of her chair for dear life, as she gasped for breath.

Caitlin looked terrified. "Iris, what did you see?"

"Grodd." Iris wheezed. "Grodd found them. He whammied Barry and it effected me too."

"Are they ok?"

Iris tried to remember what happened after Grodd whammied her. She knew Barry was down, but she didn't see what happened to Cisco. She thought she saw her dad shoot at Grodd. 

"IRIS?" Caitlin pleaded. "Are they ok?"

"I- I don't know."


	16. Lost & Found

"BARRY!!!!!" Iris yelled. She darted across the cortex as Barry and Cisco entered, throwing her arms around Barry. He pulled her tight against him. They were broth trying to catch their breath.

"What happened out there?" Caitlin asked.

Barry’s hands slid down Iris' arms and he took her hands. He looked somber. "Iris.."

"What is it?"

Barry chewed on his lip. Iris turned to Cisco, who shook his head. His eyes had the same hollow, traumatized look as Barry's.

It was then Iris noticed.

"Where is my dad?"

Nobody said a word.

"WHERE IS MY DAD?" Iris screamed. She blinked tears out of her eyes. "Barry, what happened? Is.... Is my dad.........."

Barry didn't say anything, but Iris couldn't accept the truth until she heard it out loud. She refused to believe the horrible conclusion her mind had come to. Iris swallowed. Her knees were locked. "Barry, please tell me what happened!"

"Grodd took him." Barry whispered.

Iris gasped. She nearly collapsed on the floor, but thankfully, Caitlin pulled a chair up in time and guided Iris into it.

Barry beat his fist against the wall. "He attacked me again. I saw the same images and I felt the same intense fear. Grodd took Joe because I was too weak to fight."

"Then that's what Iris was experiencing too." Caitlin said, more to herself than anyone else. "She was using her powers to see and experience whatever Barry was."

"That pain, Grodd caused it?" Iris chocked through her tears.

Barry nodded.

"And he has my dad.............."

"Listen to me, Iris." Barry knelt in front of her and put a hand on her knee. "I WILL get Joe back."

The air was thick with tension. Caitlin broke it by asking, "Cisco, did Grodd whammy you too?"

Cisco shook his head. "No. I mean, I was scared because a giant, telepathic, super intelligent gorilla was coming towards me. But I think I felt the appropriate amount of fear for the situation."

"Do you think Grodd is 'whammying' my dad?" Iris asked, concerned. A chill ran down her spine as she recalled the paralyzing fear of having Grodd in her mind.

Cisco exchanged a hopeless look with Caitlin. "There's no way to know."

Iris sobbed onto Barry's shoulder.

"I'd like to get some images of Barry's brain. It will help me figure out how Grodd was able to whammy you." Caitlin said.

"Anything to figure out how to stop Grodd and get Joe back." Barry told her.

"I'll go prep." Caitlin left for the medbay.

Iris wasn't sure how long she had been crying. It felt simultaneously like a second and lifetime. She heard the quick pounding of Barry's heart and was soothed by it's rhythm.

"First Eddie gets taken by the man in yellow, and now my dad." Iris whimpered.

"I'm going to save both of them, Iris. I promise you!" Barry said. She could feel his chest move as he spoke.

"What if he's already dead?"

"No. No, don't think like that. Grodd is super intelligent. He wouldn't take somebody just to kill them, he wants a hostage for some reason."

Caitlin returned with a bottle of water and gave it to Iris. She then looked at Barry. "I'm ready."

"Ok." Barry patted Iris on the back and she released him. Her tears left a large wet spot on Barry's shirt.

Iris managed to keep composed as Barry underwent his scan. She paced around the cortex anxiously but by some miracle didn't cry anymore.

When Caitlin and Barry returned, Caitlin shared the results of the scan. "Barry is experiencing a spike of activity in his primary motor cortex. It's the same thing we saw in Eiling. The images you saw were some kind of psychic attack by Grodd."

"Can you figure out how to prevent Grodd from doing it?" Iris asked.

Caitlin's face fell. "No."

Iris sighed. Wave after wave of despair had been crashing into her ever since she learned her dad was taken.

"Hold up," Cisco said. "I put a tracker in the tranq dart you shot Grodd with. As soon as it activates-"

Barry cut him off, "Cisco, I can't wait for that. I will search every inch of that sewer if I have to."

"And what if you find them? What happens if Grodd takes over your mind, the same way he did with Eiling?" Caitlin warned.

"I- I'm-" Barry spluttered. "Can you guys build me something? Some kind of tech so he can't get into my head?"

Caitlin and Cisco exchanged grim looks.

"I don't know." Cisco said. "Maybe if Dr. Wells were here."

The latest wave of despair washed away and the next wave to to hit Iris was different. It was filled with frustrations. "I don't understand. Everyday you guys figure out a way to help people. All of The Flash's powers and all of this equipment, and you can't save Eddie and my dad?"

Barry, Caitlin, and Cisco had no answer. Guilt at their ineptitude showed on their faces.

Suddenly, Iris felt like had awakened from a dream. The dream of The Flash, a mysterious superhero who would woosh her up to the rooftop, who could save anyone. And S.T.A.R. Labs, the place Barry would talk about with such passion, the place where the boundaries of science were pushed, the place that would change the world. It was a a sham. All that stood before Iris was three people who had no idea how to save her dad.

She couldn't keep looking at them. Iris turned and left the cortex. She wasn't sure what she was going to do next, it wasn't like she could save her dad either. Part of her wanted Barry to chase after her so they could talk. Another part felt queasy at the idea of talking.

Before deciding which part she believed, Iris could hear Barry's footsteps as he came after her. "IRIS,"

"I can't get that sound out of my head. My dad screaming." Another, more powerful wave of frustration was crashing down on her. She gave into it's pressure. "Why did he insist on going down there with you? He's always preaching about being safe, but not once does he think about running into danger himself."

"Iris,"

"NO, Barry! He is just a regular cop. He is not some metahuman with superpowers. He's not you!"

Iris stared down Barry.

"You're right." Barry admitted. "He's not me. And this, is not his fault. None of THIS is his fault."

Barry was right and Iris knew it. Her anger wasn't going to help get her dad back. But anger was comforting in way, because it suppressed the pain. Iris let her anger wash away. She took a deep breath and was instantly confronted by the pain. Tears filled her eyes and she didn't have the strength to keep them in.

"None of this is his fault." Iris reiterated. "It's mine."

"That's not true!" Barry said. He closed the distance between them and hugged Iris.

She felt like she was going to pass out. Thankfully, Barry was there to hold her up. Just like always, she had him to lean on.

"Everyone gets hurt because of me." Iris sobbed. "Eddie was trying to protect me when he was taken. I yelled at my dad and it wasn't his fault but I never apologized and now he's been kidnapped by a gorilla."

"Iris, this is not your fault. The only reason Eddie got taken is Wells. He's also the reason Grodd took Joe. He's the reason for all of this pain in our lives." Barry looked into Iris' eyes. She saw his determination. "And I will make sure he pays for it." Barry finished.

Iris nodded. She trusted Barry. He leaned his head down on Iris'.

"I'm sorry that Wells is hurting you. Sometimes I wish I never became The Flash and we could just live our lives without having to worry about Wells or gorillas or anything. We could be normal, safe." Barry was getting emotional too. "You deserve so much better than this, Iris. When Joe and Eddie are back, you should go with them somewhere far away from me. You can still have a normal, safe life."

Iris was shocked. Her legs trembled, but her stare was focused on Barry's eyes. "You are my best friend, Barry. Whatever happens, I want you in my life. We will find a way to beat Wells, Grodd, and anything else that tries to hurt us."

She thought about that erased moment at the waterfront. Barry had told her to get as from away from him as possible. That was never going to happen. Iris cupped Barry's face with her hands. "I am NOT leaving you."

Barry smiled. Iris saw it for a brief moment before she was transported to a large, dark room.

At first, Iris feared she was back in the sewer and braced herself for another psychic attack from Grodd. But, it didn't come. Instead, Iris heard a voice yelling: "HELP! HELP!" She turned around.

"EDDIE!!!!!"

Iris ran over to the chair he was handcuffed to. "I'm here. I'm here. I found you. You're gonna be ok."

Eddie didn't acknowledge her presences. "HELP! HELP! HELP!" He continued shouting.

Iris felt foolish. Of course, she wasn't really here with Eddie. This was her powers showing her Eddie's location. She looked around the room and tried to decipher where it could be. It looked like they were underground. A yellow ladder went to the ceiling.

"Stay strong. We're coming to get you." Iris told Eddie, even though she knew he didn't hear. She climbed up the ladder and pushed open the door at the top.

Iris found herself in one of the hallways in S.T.A.R. Labs. "No way." She whispered.

Jolted back to reality by the discovery, Iris saw Barry leaning in to kiss her. But, it didn't even register. She was too eager to tell him the good news.

"BARRY!" She shouted, startling him out of his pouty lipped daze. "I know where Eddie is!"


	17. Do It For Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie and Joe are saved. Can the same be said for Iris and Barry's romantic relationship?

Iris descended the yellow latter that was identical to one she'd seen in her vision. Barry climbed down with her. Eddie, who looked disheveled and disoriented, was still shouting "HELP! HELP!"

"Eddie, it's ok. We found you." Iris cried. She ran up to him, but he was too out of it to respond.

Barry cut off the restrains bonding Eddie to the chair, "I'll get him to the cortex. Caitlin needs to look at him."

Iris nodded. She felt a gust of wind and the guys were gone. Iris climbed back up the ladder and ran to the cortex at normal human speed.

Caitlin was already examining Eddie. She was staring his IV when Iris sat down next to him.

"Eddie." Iris breathed as a sigh of relief.

He looked at her for the first time since he was kidnapped. It was so nice to see his sweet blue eyes again.

"Hey, Iris." Eddie said with a smile.

"You're going to be ok." Caitlin told him. "You're vitals are normal but you're dehydrated. The IV should help with that. Just, drink plenty of fluids and stay off your feet for a few days."

Barry was anxiously twisting his fingers together. Iris saw the guilt on his face as he looked at Eddie. "I- I'm so sorry. I thought I looked everywhere for you."

"It's ok." Eddie shrugged. "Sometimes you just can't see the clues. Even if they're right in front of you."

That last part made Iris uneasy. The way Eddie looked at her and Barry when he said it gave away his attempt at a subtlety.

"Barry ran all over the city looking for where Wells was keeping you. The only place he didn't look was here. I guess the best place to hide something really is in plain sight." Cisco said.

Iris put her hand on Eddie's shoulder. "Well, all that's important is that we're all safe and back together."

Eddie smiled at her.

"Why do you think Wells took you?" Caitlin asked.

"I don't know. He said that we're family? He said his real name is, Eobard Thawne."

Cisco stepped forward looking thoughtful and nervous. "Eobard Thawne?"

"Just like in my dream." Iris whispered.

"Did he say anything else? Anything that might help us catch him?" Barry asked.

"He didn't say much." Eddie lamented. "He just kept working on some... tube?"

"A tube?" Cisco clarified. "What did it look like?"

"Metallic. Futuristic. He said it was the key to him getting back everything that was taken from him."

Barry was desperate for answers. His forehead wrinkled as he tried to make sense of what Eddie saw. Iris could practically hear the gears in his mind turning. "Key? I don't understand."

Eddie wiped his face with his hand. "Look, I just want to go home. Is that ok?"

"Yes, of course." Iris assured him with a rub of his arm.

Caitlin discontinued the IV. "Make sure you get some rest."

Iris helped Eddie up off the hospital bed. As he stood up, he took a good look around the room. "Where's Joe?"

Everyone went pale. Iris felt like she'd just fallen off a large building and hit the ground. In her excitement of finding Eddie, she'd momentarily forgotten the pain of her dad's kidnapping. She swallowed, trying to find her voice. "He's been taken."

Eddie looked at her, confused. "Taken? By Wells?"

Iris shook her head. "By a gorilla called, Grodd."

Eddie laughed in shock. He looked from Iris, to Barry, to Caitlin, to Cisco. It was like he expected them to be as astounded as he was. "A gorilla?"

"A super intelligent gorilla with telepathic abilities." Barry elaborated.

Eddie held his head in his hands. "This is city is SO WEIRD!"

Iris snorted. "It's true. It's like we're living in some comic book world."

"Except, in the comic book the hero always finds a way to defeat the bad guy." Barry sighed. "But in reality......."

"You'll stop him, Barry." Iris said firmly, silencing his doubts.

She helped Eddie out of the lab and drove him to his apartment building.

"How are you feeling?" Iris asked him as they took the elevator up to his apartment.

"As good as a man who was held captive by a supervillian from the future for a week can feel, I guess."

Eddie always had a good sense of humor. Too bad, it couldn't make Iris feel any better right now. She looked somber.

"Worried about your dad?" Eddie assumed.

"Very."

"Joe West is the toughest guy I know. If there is anyone who can stand up to a telepathic gorilla, it's him."

"But he's terrified of regular gorilla!" Iris said, exasperated. 

Eddie apparently had no way to counter that. So, he changed the subject to something even more difficult to talk about. "How are you and Barry doing?"

Iris avoided his eye.

Realizing this was the last thing Iris wanted to talk about, Eddie apologized. "I'm sorry. It's ok if you don't want to talk about it." 

"Nothing happened between us while you were gone. I couldn't do that. Not when you were being held somewhere by a psychopath. It didn't feel right."

To Iris' shock, Eddie seemed surprised by that. "Even though we broke up?"

"Umm, yeah?! You were kidnapped while trying to protect me. I would feel like the worst person ever if I was moving on while you were missing. Did you really think I could do that? Is that how little you think I care about you?"

Eddie was taken aback. "No, Iris. That's not what I meant. I just want you to be happy." Iris furrowed her brow, so Eddie explained further. "Look, what we had was great. Like, really great! But, I know that you've had for feelings for Barry for a long time. Way before we met. And I know he has those feelings for you. He really wants to be with you, Iris. But, you are such a good, loyal person that you're afraid to let yourself be happy with him, because of me! I don't want that."

"So, you're saying you wish I started dating Barry?"

"I'm saying, I wish you would let yourself be happy and stop feelings guilty for our relationship ending."

Iris took in his words. She was thankful Eddie was such a compassionate person.

"Iris," He said. "Relationships end and that's ok. It's better that we ended it when we did instead of getting married or something. We both know you would've still been in love with Barry, but you'd feel obligated to stay because you made a vow. I don't want you to be with me out of responsibility. I want someone who truly loves me more than anyone else. It's ok that you're not that person."

Iris felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She hugged Eddie and said to him, "Whoever that person is, I hope you find her really soon. You are amazing, Eddie. I hope I'm lucky enough to keep you in my life as a friend."

"Of course."

* * *

Iris made Eddie stay back at his place and rest. If it were up him though, he would be at S.T.A.R. Labs helping the team get Joe back. But, Iris felt confident that she could use her powers to find her dad. Cisco presented her with maps of the city's sewers. She closed her eyes, moved her hands over the drawing of the layout, and concentrated. 

At first, nothing. Iris didn't let herself become discouraged. She kept scanning the map until BAM! Her surroundings changed to a cold sewer. Iris opened her eyes.

"Dad!" She shouted when she saw Joe huddled in the corner, scared and crying.

Iris brought herself back to reality so she could tell the team that this was place Grodd was holding her father captive. "Here it is! This is where I saw my dad. Grodd wasn't there."

Barry smiled. "I'll get go Joe."

"You'll need this." Cisco handed Barry a headband-like device. "It's an anti-telepathy strip. It uses a magnetic resonance to neutralize any foreign neurological stimulus."

"So it will protect Barry from being mind controlled?" Iris asked.

Caitlin cringed. "That's the hope. But, we have no way of knowing if it actually working."

"It will work." Barry tried to assure her, but he looked nervous himself. In an instant, Barry changed into his Flash suit. He looked at Iris, wanting to speak but at a loss for words.

"Get my dad back." Iris whispered to him. 

Barry nodded and took off. 

Caitlin and Cisco went to the monitors to watch the red dot representing Barry move through the city. Cisco turned on the comm. "Barry, what's your ETA?"

"I'm in position." Barry replied.

"Wait for my signal." Cisco rubbed his hands together before pressing a button. "Ok, here goes nothing."

The room was quiet, nobody spoke as the button Cisco pressed apparently did it's job. Iris nervously paced around the cortex. She was relived when Cisco said, "The steam is working. Grodd's on the move."

"I don't understand. What is the plan?" Iris asked.

"He's maneuvering Grodd into a tunnel 5.3 miles from Barry." Caitlin explained. 

"So Barry can do what?"

"Same thing he did to Girder." Cisco chimed in with a smile. "Super. Sonic. Punch. Baby. HIT IT!"

Cisco's enthusiasm calmed Iris for a moment, until the sound of Grodd roaring and Barry grunting came over the comm.

"What happened?" Iris gasped.

"The super sonic punch failed." Cisco said.

"It's ok, Cisco." Barry's voice said over the comm. "The headset is working."

"Yesssss! Ok, try some speed punches on him." Cisco suggested.

"It isn't working!"

"What if you try-" Caitlin was cut off by another thundering roar from Grodd.

"Barry! Barry!" Cisco called.

There was a crash. Barry's moaning and heavy breathing were all the trio could hear.

"Oh no, the headset's offline." Caitlin said.

"It sounds like it impacted with something."

"AAAHHHH!" Barry screamed in pain.

Caitlin pulled up a computer scan of Barry's brain. "Barry's brain activity if off the charts! It's way worse than last time."

"What's happening to him?" Iris cried.

"Grodd's attacking him psychically. He's paralyzed!" 

Cisco's computer started beeping. "Oh come on." He sighed. "There's a service train incoming!"

Iris was terrified. Her heart was in her throat and her head was spinning. "DO SOMETHING! PLEASE!" She begged Caitlin and Cisco.

"I can't stop the train."

"Barry, you have to get out of there NOW!" Caitlin warned.

There was no response. 

"What do we do?" Cisco asked.

Iris was losing hope. If Cisco didn't know what to and Caitlin didn't either, Barry was a goner.

Desperate, Iris pushed them away from the microphone and spoke to Barry in the calmest voice she could muster. "Barry, listen to me. Ok, you have to concentrate on my voice. Whatever is happening to you, you have to fight it!" Iris knew she couldn't use her powers to be with Barry, that would only allow Grodd to psychically attack her too. Just her voice would have to pull Barry through. "I know you can do this. I know how strong you are. Stand up to Grodd. You can do this. Please!"

Barry's breathing was starting to slow down. Iris didn't know if that was a good or bad sign.

"Barry," She breathed. "Do it for me."

"Iris..............." Barry's voice was faint.

She saw the train on Cisco's monitor run over the red dot that was Barry.

"DID IT HIT HIM?" Iris shrieked.

"No, no. He's ok. He must've moved out of the way. His vitals are normal and his brain activity has returned to normal too." Caitlin showed Iris Barry's brain scan.

"There's another train coming." Cisco said.

"It's ok. Barry can avoid it now and he can fight Grodd." Iris told him, confident.

They weren't sure what happened next, but there was a crash. The second train whizzed by. Listening intently, they heard Barry say, "Joe!"

Iris needed to know that both Barry and her dad were ok. "Barry?"

Before she could finish the question, Barry said, "I'm bringing him home."

Iris exhaled. She could finally breath again. 

Barry and her dad appeared in the cortex in the blink of an eye.

"Dad!" Iris ran to him and flung her arms around him.

* * *

After making sure her dad was ok and talking to him for a bit, Iris decided she needed some air. She went to her favorite place in the city, the rooftop of Jitters. Looking out at the skyline, so many big building filled with so many people, all with their own stories, their own destinies, it made Iris think about her destiny. She questioned if there was a such thing. Does fate predetermine anything about our lives or do we all chose our own fate?

So enthralled with her own thought, Iris jumped when she heard a voice behind her say, "Hey." 

Iris turned around and saw Barry. She smiled. His presence was always comforting, but tonight, seeing him made Iris feel especially good.

"Hey." She said back. "How did you know I was here?"

"This is your spot."

"Yeah, it's a special spot." Iris said, thinking about all the times she was up here with The Flash.

"Iris, what you were saying to me down in the sewer, you know why I wasn't afraid? Because you were there. Even though I really was scared, having you there is how I could stand up to Grodd." Barry professed. "It's like I told you from the beginning, every time I falter or make a mistake, the thought of you is what picks me up and keeps me going. Without you, there wouldn't be The Flash."

Iris smiled. "It's nice to be able to help The Flash. But, what does Barry Allen think of me?"

Barry walked towards her. "He loves you more than anything."

"Even though I've been such a confusing, emotional mess recently?"

"Iris, I have been in love with you since I was 10. I've waited 16 years to be with you, I can wait some more. If you need more time to deal with your feelings for Eddie or to-"

Iris interrupted Barry by capturing his lips in a long overdue kiss.

This was it, Iris thought. This is m destiny. It doesn't matter if fate chose it or if I did it all by myself, all that matters is that is it. 


End file.
